


Roads Unraveled

by TakeAChance13



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, Lost Love, M/M, Other, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-28
Updated: 2015-05-05
Packaged: 2018-02-10 18:26:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 57,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2035419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TakeAChance13/pseuds/TakeAChance13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean has a daughter. A 17 year old daughter named Hayla that he never even knew about. When she comes into his life his entire world is shifted upside down. He now faces the responsibilities of fatherhood while trying to keep his daughter from ending up like him and dealing with her demon bodyguard, Ian. Dean/OC (family), Possible OC/OC, Destiel for later chapters. Takes place in season 7.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Slash Fiction

**Author's Note:**

> Hello ladies and gentlemen. So this is my VERY FIRST story ever. I have a story line line for this all planned out but I tend to change my mind so we’ll see how it goes. I plan to stick mostly to the supernatural storyline with a sprinkle of my own creation. But I would really like some feed back as I write this. Do you like it? Do you hate it. I’m always up for criticism and suggestions on how you like it and where you would like the story to go. I’ve had this Idea in my head for a while now and I just have to get it out there.  
> I do tend to get some inspiration from other tv shows, movies, and writings so if you see something you might recognize I’m not meaning to rip it off I swear it just my way of admiring them for providing this story with little twists and me with inspiration for a character or a scene.  
> Any way I hope you like it. I’ll take all the feedback I can get. Follow my story on Tumblr: www.tumblr.com/blog/roads-unraveled
> 
> No copyright intended. I DO NOT OWN SUPERNATURAL OR ANY OF ITS CHARATERS! Just Hayla and Killian.

**Chapter 1**

**Slash** Fiction

 

The sun was just setting over Sioux Falls one late afternoon. Jody Mills was back to working at the Sioux Falls Police Department and as usual she was the last one in the now quiet office. After her recovery she wasted no time throwing herself back into her work. Someone had to protect her town from the Leviathan that could now be roaming anywhere. She had hung up her uniform and badge but still had her gun strapped to her side. She was just about to head home for the night when a small figure with a Guns N’ Roses tank top and silky blonde curls walked walked in with a backpack over one shoulder and a lost look on her face. The girl looked so innocent and couldn’t be more than eighteen. Jody smiled at the young girl and walked over to her. “Hi,” she said catching her attention. “Can I help you?”  
The girl opened her mouth hesitantly to say something as if not sure she should say anything. “Yes. Maybe you can,” she said. “I’m looking for someone.”  
“Well I’m sure I can help with that. Who?”  
“His name is Bobby Singer. I had his address but when I went by it looked like it had been burnt down.”  
“Yeah it did, not that long ago.” Jody looked the girl over examining her. She didn’t know this girl. She could be another one of those big mouthed monsters for all she knew. The girls face took on a defeated look. She looked tired and hungry and just about done with whatever mission she seemed to be on. Jody could relate to her on that. “I’m sorry who are you?”  
“Hayla Scott. My mom was a friend of Bobby’s.”  
Jody nodded. The girl seemed innocent enough. She didn’t seem like a monster. She just seemed like a lost girl. She smiled at her. “Well lucky for you I know where he’s held up now.” She saw the gleam of hope reanimate in the girls eyes and gave her a smile. “I was on my way there anyway. I’ll give you a ride.”  
Jody let the girl put her backpack and duffel in the back of her cruiser and they both hopped in. They both sat silently as Hayla looked out the window watching the trees pass in a blur as she fingered the bronze locket around her neck. “So,” Jody breaks the silence. “You said your mom sent you here?”  
Hayla looked over at her. Jody seemed really nice, and she could see why she was sheriff. If the rest of Sioux Falls had her same warm smile Hayla might even be compelled to stay for more than her usual three or four days.“Yeah. Said if I ever needed anything, Bobby would be the one to go to.”  
“What about your dad?”  
“I never met him. As far as I know, he doesn’t even know I exist.” Jody nodded.  
“So where are you coming from?”  
“Leola,” she said.  
“Is it nice there?”  
“From what I could tell yeah. I didn’t stay long.”  
“So you don’t live there?”  
The girl slightly chuckled to herself and looked at her hands in her lap. “I don’t live much of anywhere”  
“What do you mean?” she asked concerned.  
“I’ve lived out of a suitcase practically my whole life. I’m not one to stay in one place for very long.”  
“Yeah. I know some people like that,” Jody said under her breath. Hayla looked at her questioningly but Jody kept staring straight ahead. They rode in silence the rest of the car ride. “Here we are.” they pulled up a dirt driveway and parked in front of a rickety abandoned looking house.  
Hayla stepped out of the cruiser. Her boots crunched against gravel and she felt a chill through her leather jacket. “Are you sure?” she asked with a grain of salt.  
Jody laughed pulling a grocery bag and a six pack from the back seat. “Come on.” She ushered the girl along. Hayla grabbed her bags and walked up the pathway. The porch creaked under their weight and she was sure if there was a few more pounds between them the would fall through. Jodi rapped her knuckles against the worn wood of the door. A few seconds later the door swung open revealing a man with a care worn face covered by a beard and wearing an old ball cap. Jody smiled at him.  
“What the hell are you doing here?” he asked in a low raspy voice.  
Her smile fell “You’re all charm Bobby,” she said sarcastically.  
“So my therapist keeps telling me,” he jokes back and Hayla give a small laugh at the man. “How did you find me?”  
“I’m a cop. Remember” she says frankly.  
“Who’s she?” He nods towards Hayla.  
“A friend. Hayla,” Jody says addressing the girl, “this is Bobby Singer. Bobby, this is Hayla Scott.” Hayla gives him a small nod the corners of her mouth twitching into a half smile. Bobby returns a nod. Jodi looks back at Bobby with a smile. “Now are you gonna keep asking questions or are you gonna invite us in?” She held up the grocery bag and six pack.  
“You may not want me to. I have a,” he pauses and looks at Hayla, “...situation downstairs.”  
“So we won’t go downstairs,” Hayla says easily and pushes her way through the door. Jody shrugs and they follow behind her. They walk into what Hayla thinks is supposed to be a kitchen but smells more like a bar complete with a few empty bottles of whiskey. She sat her bags down and looked around the small house that was made up of about three rooms. Her eyes fell on the kitchen table and she picks up a newspaper. The front page is titled ‘Killer Dou Still At Large’.  
“So, Hayla. What brings you here?” Bobby asked sitting down at the table.  
“Well,” she started and sat down across from the old man, “I am just really hoping that you are the Bobby Singer that I am looking for because if not, I’m screwed.” Bobby crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a confused look. “My mom. She said that you could help me. That if I came to you everything would work itself out. Her name was Jane Scott.”  
“Jane Scott?” he questions. “Jane Scott? Jane Scott? Oh yeah,” he recalls and Hayla sighs in relief. “She used to work with me at the shop when she was your age. Nice girl. She could fix an engine like nobody’s business.” Hayla smiles. “Why did she send you here? Where is she?”  
She looks at her feet and kicks some dirt around with the toe of her boot. “She’s dead.” Bobby looked at Jody who shrugged her shoulders saying this is the first she’d heard about it. “She died when I was four.” Bobby looked at the girl sympathetically.  
“I'm sorry.” Hayla looked back at him and gave a sad half smile.  
“No offence, but if your mother has been dead all this time how did she send you here?”  
“A letter. Every kid in the foster system has a file that follows them from home to home. In mine was a letter from my mother saying that if I was ever in trouble or I just need someone, to find you.”  
“And what do you need me for?” he asked questioningly. Hayla sighed and picked up the paper turning it towards him. Then she pulled out a paper from her bag and pushed them both to him.  
His face dropped and his eyes widened as he looked back up at her. “No.” He shook his head in disbelief. Jody looked over his shoulder the same look of disbelief on her face. “I found that in my file as well.” Bobby glanced down at the paper once again but as hard as he tried the letters didn’t change. It was her birth certificate. On it was written Hayla Scott. Born April 2nd, 1994 to Jane Scott and… Dean Winchester.  
“As soon as I found out who my father was I searched everywhere for him, but everywhere I went was a dead end. Some said he was spotted a week ago, some said he was deceased… multiple times. Then I saw the news, and imagine my surprise when a familiar face popped up.” Bobby ran his hands over his face and sighed heavily. “So I scrounged up some cash, packed my bags, and got on a bus looking for every Bobby Singer in South Dakota.” He looked at Jody not sure what to say and she laid a hand on his shoulder. “I just want to know who he is...really.” There was a long silence as Bobby continued to read the certificate.  
“I can cook...ish,” Jody said from behind him. “Why don’t I make us all something. You must be hungry?” she asked Hayla and she nodded. She smiled at the girl and handed a beer to Bobby. He looked up at her and popped open his can of beer before taking a long chug of it and heading down stairs.

* * *

Bobby’s phone rang and he excused himself outside to talk to the boys. They had found a lead on the Leviathan and wanted to know if Bobby had found a way to kill them yet. “Chopping of their heads won’t kill em’ but it’ll slow em’ down pretty good,” he informed the boys. “Until they juice back up again.”  
“Well that’s something I guess,” Sam scoffed. “assuming we can even get close enough.  
“Believe me I don’t want you walking’ up to the things either. I’m still lookin’ for somethin’ you can shoot at em’.”  
“Good times,” Dean says sarcastically. “Thanks Bobby.”  
“Bobby,” Hayla said popping her head outside. “Food’s done,” she informs him and he gives her a nod before she goes inside.  
“You got a chick over there?” Dean asks shocked.  
“What? No,” he says suspiciously.  
“Are you even working Richard Gere?”  
“No. It’s not like that you idjot. Listen we’ve kinda got a situation over here. You might wanna get back as soon as you boys can.”  
“What kind of situation?”  
“We’ll talk about it when you get back. Just gank the sons of bitches and get over here.” He hung up the phone and walked back inside.

* * *

Hayla had spent the night on the bunk beds he had in the back room and Jodi stayed with her. The next morning Jodi had gone out to get them all something to eat while Bobby continued with who knows what in the basement. Hayla spent this time looking at everything around the house. Hayla assumed Bobby spent most weekends out in the woods hunting deer or going to a shooting range to blow off steam. Lord knows he had enough firearms and ammunition for the freakin apocalypse. Half of all of the cabinets and fridge were filled with alcohol and most of the others were filled with tools. She looked down at her watch and figured she had a while till Jody got back out to the nowheresville that Bobby lived in. She grabbed one of the toolboxes and her brown leather backpack and headed outside.  
Parked in front of the house was a rusty 1971 Chevelle that Hayla had been eyeing for hours. She opened the front and hopped in the drivers seat. She put the keys in the ignition only to have the car sputter and screech before giving out like she thought it would. She popped the hood and walked around to the front with her tool box. She propped the hood open and rolling up the sleeves of her grey plaid shirt and pulling her hair back into a messy ponytail. Then she took a look inside checking the usual suspects before grabbing a wrench and getting to work. About twenty minutes later Jody pulled up to the house in her cruiser. She hopped out with a few fast food bags in hand and walked over to where Hayla was working on the car.  
“Hey,” Jody greeted.  
Hayla hadn’t noticed her arrival, too wrapped up in her own work. “Hey.” Hayla smiled back. Jody pulled an egg sandwich from one of the bags. “Thanks,” Hayla says unwrapping it and taking a bite. Jody slipped behind the wheel and took another sandwich from the bag and ate while she watched Hayla work. She looked into the passenger seat and saw a small box poking out of the front pocket of her backpack. She took it out and found a small cassette labeled AC DC. When she popped it into the player Hayla smiled and nodded her head along to the beat.

* * *

Bobby’s phone rang as the Bobby cloned leviathan taunted him. “Tell the kids I said hi,” he yelled as the real Bobby walked up the steps again.  
“Hello?”  
“Bobby we got eyes on them,” Deans voice rang through the phone. Bobby looked around the small house and didn’t see any sign of Jody or Hayla.  
“What?” He questioned Dean. Then he heard music blaring outside.  
“It’s like looking in a funhouse mirror,” he said in a disgusted tone.  
“Yeah I know what you mean.” He stepped on the porch and from a distance he saw Hayla and Jody by his car listening to AC DC while Hayla worked under the hood. He gave her a sideways glance. Looking at her like this, Bobby thought to himself that maybe Dean had more than one clone. “In more ways than one,” he grumbled under his breath.  
“Okay well tell me you got something or we’re gonna have to get in close.”  
“Look just hang back for now.”  
“It’s too late look we gotta-” Dean cut off and Bobby could hear cruiser sirens through the phone. “Hold on.”  
“Hands in the air!” He heard another voice yell.  
“Woah, woah, woah. Big misunderstanding,” Dean tried to talk the officer down. “Look the guys you want they’re right over there. Just turn around.”  
“Shut up. Put the phone on the ground. Put your hands in the air!” Bobby listened as the scene played out.  
“Dean?” he questioned. “Dean?” He knew Dean had dropped the phone. “Damn it.” Bobby hung up the phone and looked back over at the girl who was currently under his hood. Dean and Sam would find a way out of this he knew that. It was their job. Right now his job was to make sure that girl was safe in their absence. He shoved the phone back into his pocket and walk across the gravel to his car. Hayla gave him a nod as she wiped the grease from her hands with an old rag. “What do you think you’re doing?” he questioned her.  
She smirked at him “Well.” She walked over to the drivers side. “If I’m correct.” She reached her arm through the window and turned the key in the ignition. The car sputter for a few seconds and then roared to life into a gentle purr. “Fixing it,” she said matter-of-factly.  
Bobby scrunched his eyebrows together and Jodi gave her an approving look. “Where did you learn to do that?” he asked.  
“Long story short. I’ve bounced around from place to place the last couple years. Last year some guy named Jareth took me in. He ran a chop shop. Guys were bringing cars in and out for the couple months I was there. They would strip them down, put them back together, I paid attention.” Hayla leaned against the door and gave Bobby a smirk as he looked at his newly tuned engine. He closed the hood with a slam and gave an approving nod.  
“Good job,” he said almost impressed before walking back into the house. Hayla gave Jody a smile.

* * *

Jody was busying herself around the house trying to put everything in some sort of order.  
“Hey, Hayla?” Jody called from the kitchen.  
“Yeah?” Hayla turned a book over in her hands. It was about the folklore of fairies and although it was very interesting she was starting to think that Bobby may be some kind of nut. I mean he did just spend the whole night in a basement doing God knows what.  
“You wanna help me?” Hayla looked over and Jody held up a bucket and some wash rags. “Lord knows that this place could use some sorting. And if you’re gonna stay here for the time being, I’ll leave here a lot less worried if I know it’s somewhat clean.” She grimaced at the dirt covering the floors and Hayla laughed. She sat the book on top of a pile on the floor and walked over taking a rag.  
Jody dropped the bucket on the floor and dipped her rag in it before dragging it across the floor. “Jody?” Hayla said washing one of the floor boards.  
“Hmm?”  
“Can ask you a question?”  
She furrowed her eyebrows together and shook her head. “Anything sweetheart.”  
Hayla gave a half smile. “Dean,” she paused wonder how to ask her question, “he’s a good guy...right?”  
Jody sighed and smiled. “He’s one of the best men I have ever known. He’s a little ruff around the edges, a little grumpy at times, but when push comes to shove you couldn’t ask for anyone better to have your back.” Hayla smiled at this. “He saved my life.” Hayla looked down at the floor almost looking disappointed. If Dean had been the same way he was portrayed on television and in the news she would have understood that better. Now she was just confused. “Hey,” Jody caught her attention. “This whole thing is just a misunderstanding. It will blow over.” Hayla nodded. They went back to cleaning the floor in silence until Bobby came running up the stairs panicked looking. Jody stood up and looked his way. “Oh sorry. A little snafu here,” she said referring to the mess. Bobby rushed forward and taking Jody’s face in his hands and pulling her in for a kiss. Hayla raised her eyebrows in shock and looked away. “Okay wasn’t expecting that reaction,” Jody said a little caught by surprise.  
“What the hell was in that bucket?” Bobby asked frantically.  
“Cleaning soap. Why?” Jody pointed to the bottle and Bobby rushed over grabbed the bottle and rushed back down stairs. The girls watched him and then looked at each other. Jodi gave her a questioning look and Hayla just laughed and went back to cleaning.

* * *

Hayla was dusting off the bannister over the fireplace when Jodi came to say good bye. “Hey,” she said catching the girls attention. “ I think I’m gonna head out,” She tucked a small box under her arm. “You’ll be in good hands with Bobby. He’ll take care of you, but Hayla promise me one thing?”  
“Anything.” Hayla smiled.  
“Take care of him?” Hayla laughed and nodded. “I’m real sorry about your mom,” she said sincerely and the smile fell from Hayla’s face. “But I think you meeting Dean will be the start of something great. For both of you.” Jody gave her a wave a headed towards the door  
“Jody,” she turned back around. “Thank you.”  
“For what?” she asked confused.  
“What you’ve done for me this past weekend has been the nicest thing anyone has done for me in a long time. So thank you.” Jody smiled and walked over to the her to giver her a hug.  
She pulled away and caressed Hayla’s cheek. “Call me if you need anything.” Hayla nodded and finally Jody left.

* * *

After Jody had left Bobby had to do some ‘yard work’ in his non-existant yard, but Bobby seemed like the kind of guy who had some pretty dark secrets so Hayla didn’t ask questions she didn’t want to know the answers to. A couple hours later it was getting close to dark and she was on the couch reading a book about ghosts from Bobbys very interesting library. Then they saw headlights shine through the curtains. Bobby went straight to the door and Hayla remained on the couch as she watched the man enter the house.  
“Where’s Sam?” Bobby asked.  
“We had a bit of a falling out,” the other man said. “I’ll tell you about it later. What’s this situation I had to rush all the way here for?” Hayla sat down the book and got up from the couch. Bobby nodded over the mans shoulder towards Hayla. He turned around and Hayla shifted as her green eyes locked with his.  
“Dean,” she gasps. Dean looked back at Bobby who was trying to look anywhere but at the two of them. He returned his attention back to Hayla, a confused expression crossing his face.  
“I’m sorry do have we met before?” he asked gruffly.  
Hayla shook her head and stepped towards him. “No.” He looked even more confused now. “You don’t know me, but,” she paused not really sure how to form the words any more. She took a deep breath and smiled. “My name is Hayla...I’m your daughter.”


	2. The Greatest Summer

**Chapter 2**

**The Greatest Summer**

 

Dean hadn’t said anything. He just walked away picking up a whiskey bottle and throwing himself of the top bunk in the next room. The next few days were spent in uncomfortable silence. Everyone tiptoed around each other. When Dean wasn’t leaving voicemails to Sam, who obviously didn’t want to talk to him, he was on his laptop doing who knows what. Hayla knew he was trying to avoid the issue at hand. She was fine with that. She knew when she showed up that she wasn’t just going to reveal who she was and Dean was going to scoop her up in his arms for a hug and everything would be all sunshine and rainbows. She wasn’t delusional. Dean need his time to adjust. She just wished that they could have a conversation around here that was above a whisper.

“I should get a blood test or something right?” Dean asked Bobby sitting at the kitchen table in hushed tones.

“I mean if you think it’s the best thing yeah go ahead.” They both looked over at the sleeping girl on the couch with her mouth slightly open and hair falling in her face. Bobby slightly smiled at her. “Even though it’s so obvious that she’s yours.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that you haven’t spent the last few days actually with the girl. She is you. Through and through.” Dean looked over at the couch and had to admit that he had noticed similarities between the two of them over the past few days.

“What am I going to do Bobby?”

“You’re asking me what you should do?” Bobby got up from the table in a huff. “That girl over there didn’t get asked to be brought into this world. You brought her into this world. It’ might have been stupid and you might have been young but it wasn’t a mistake. Hell I’d say that girl finding you was a damn miracle! So you want to know what you should do? You need to man up and start taking responsibility for you daughter.” Bobby turned away and stormed out of the house leaving Dean shocked at his outburst. The front door slammed closed shaking the house slightly and Hayla stirred in her sleep. Dean opened his laptop again and started looking for another case. He need to get out of here. Bobby was right about everything he’ll admit that. But he just need to clear his head. He was in no condition lately to even know where to start with the mess he found himself in currently. So a no leviathan, no end of the world good old fashioned case might do him some good.

Hayla woke up after hearing the front door slam. He figured it must have been Bobby because Dean was sitting in the kitchen, like he always was, on his laptop. She sighed and threw the blanket off of her. Then hopped off the couch and walked towards the kitchen to grab a drink. She filled a glass with water and leaned against the wall behind Dean who didn't even acknowledge she’d moved to begin with. Hayla was sick of this. She sighed heavily.

“Alright I give up.” She saw Dean jump a little as she began. “ I can’t tell if you’re avoiding me anymore or if you're genuinely interested in,” she looked over Dean’s shoulder to see what was on the screen, “some dean old guy in Tupelo, Oklahoma.” Dean continued to scroll through the article he was reading. “If you are that sort of worries me because I’m pretty sure physiological imbalances are hereditary,” Hayla joked. The corners of Dean’s mouth turned up and he gave a small laugh. “So he laughs?” Hayla said spitefully.

The smile falls from his face and he looks at her. He opens his mouth to say something but closes it not sure what to say. He looks at the chair that Bobby had been in moments ago and pulls it towards him. He looks at her again and gestures his hand out offering her the seat. She looks at him for a moment before hesitantly taking the seat.

Dean stared at her for  moment not saying anything. “What?” she snaps.

“I’m sorry,” he says genuinely. “I'm sorry for the way I've been acting for the past few days.”

“You mean avoiding me like the plague?”

“Yeah that.” He bites the inside of his cheek guiltily. “ I’m sorry but you show up here with that I just, I needed time to process.” Hayla shook her head in disbelief turning away from him. “Let’s start over.” She looks back to him and thinks about it.

She nods agreeing and small smirk plays on Dean’s face. She reached out. “Hi I’m Hayla your daughter.”

Dean smiled and reached out taking her hand. “I'm Dean your father.” Hayla smiled. “You are sure I’m your father right?” She gave him a glare.”Of course you are. Why else would you show up here?” He picks up his beer and takes a drink thinking. “Why did you show up here?”

She shrugged“I guess I wanted to get to know you. Find out where I come from. Same thing every little orphan Annie wants to inevitably know.”

“That I can do,” He pointed at her and took another swig from his beer. “What do you want to know?”

“Well lets start with the basics,” she said leaning back in her chair mimicking his movements. “What do you do for a living?”

Dean gave a slight choking sound on his drink. He wiped his mouth.  “I’m a…” he thought for a moment, He went with the only other job he knew anything about. “mechanic.”

“Have any family?”

“None other than Sam and Bobby. And now you of course.” He eyebrows furrowed together as he looked over the girl. “Speaking of you, Is there anything I should know about you?”

“What do you want to know?” She smiled glad that he’s finally taking an interest.

He pouted his lips thinking it over. “What your favorite color?” he joked and she gave him a laugh.

“Seriously,” She laughed and gave him a shove on the shoulder. He laughed back. Just then Bobby walked in the house paper bag in hand. “Hey Bobby,” Hayla says with a grin on her face. He looks between the smiling pair and raises his eyes at dean who just shrugs.

“Uh, I got some food.” He held up the bag. “Burritos.”

* * *

The sun had long set when Dean had finally caught a case. Turned out the guy he had found dead in Oklahoma was the most recent in a long line of kills and the whole thing reeked malevolent spirit to him. He was in the middle of packing up the latest clunker he had stolen when Hayla walked over to him. Her black boots crunching against the gravel. When She reached him she leaned against the beat up car he was hauling things in. She had expected Dean to drive something nicer. Something more masculine and badass. He did claim to be a mechanic.

She looked of towards the house her back slightly turned to him but she could feel his eyes glance at the side of her face before he continued his work. “Where are you going?” she asked warily.

“I got to make a trip.” He shoved more things into his duffle and threw it in the trunk.

She pushed off the car and turned towards him with a look of disbelief. “Are you serious?”

He sighed and closed the trunk to look at her. “Yes. I got a call for a job.”

“Just like that?”

He nodded. “Just like that.” He turned away and walked around the car towards the driver side. Hayla threw her arms in the air and followed him around.

“And what do you expect me to do just sit here and wait for you to get back?”

“Yes,” he said more as a demand than a statement. He opened the car door about to get in. Hayla shook her head at him and gave a glare.

“Unbelieveable,” she said just above a whisper.

“What?” he snaps back at her.

“You really had me going there for a minute with that whole ‘let’s start over’ bit, and I thought ‘hey maybe he’s coming around’. But no even after the past few days you’re still gonna run!” She tuned back towards the house. “Unbelieveable!” she yelled as she huffed away. Her red plaid dress swaying behind her.

“Hey!” Dean yelled in frustration. “Hayla!” he called after her, but it was too late. The door to the house had slammed shut so hard it shook the foundation. Dean groaned and banged his head against the roof of the car.

Hayla was furious. He was such a coward. He gave her all these crap lies and witty humor but he had no intention of sticking around long enough to get to know her. That was fine. Hayla grabbed her black leather jacket off the back of the couch and threw it on. If he didn’t want to stay she was going to leave. She grabbed her duffle and her backpack and headed out the door.

Dean took a deep breath and gave another look at the house. Should he stay? No he’d already found the case he couldn’t walk away now. He climbed into the car and closed the door behind him. Just as he started the car the passenger side door had opened and Hayla had climbed in throwing her duffle in the back and her backpack by her feet before slamming the door closed as hard as she had at the house. She crossed her arms across her chest as Dean processed the scene trying to figure out what the hell what going on.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

She turned towards him with a condescending look on her face. “What does it look like?” she asked as if it were the most obvious thing. “I’m coming with you.” she demanded.

“No. No way.” Dean did not like where this was going at all

“Yes!”

He was going to say anything to get her out of this car and back in the safe house with Bobby.“Damn it! I’m trying to be responsible here!”

“And I’m trying to get to know you.”

Dean’s mouth hung open. That was a low blow. “Oh that is…that’s really...unfair.”

She paused her face taking on a softer tone. “I just met you.,” she said almost pleadingly. “No way I’m losing you this quick.” Dean sighed and gave her a sympathetic look. “Screw that.” She turned back and looked out the windshield with determination. Dean continued to stare at her. She turned meet his eyes and raised her eyebrows. “Drive!” Dean rolled his eyes. This kid was more like him than he knew. He was in for a long trip.

* * *

“Yes Bobby she’s with me.” Hayla listened to the one sided conversation. “No she hasn’t given me any trouble,” he looked over at her, “...yet.” Hayla gave a little smirk at this and continued to play with her locket as she looked out the window at the fast passing street lights. Dean sure did speed a lot. “Yeah I’ll keep her safe no worries. Okay. Bye.” Dean hung up the phone and Hayla returned her attention to him. “So,” he started uncomfortably, “what’s the word Hal.” She smirked at the nickname he had given her.

“I’m hungry. Let’s top for a snack.”

“This isn’t a road trip. This is my job. We’re not stopping. I shouldn’t have let you come along in the first place.”

Hayla scoffed. “Yeah. Like you had a choice.” She dropped her feet from the dash and started looking through the glove compartment.

“You know I should put your ass on a bus home. I still could.”

Hayla rolled her eyes. She knew Dean wouldn’t do that. He seemed to be in a rush to get to wherever he was going. Putting her on a bus would just keep him away from getting there.  “Yeah. Yeah,” she waved him off and pulled out a map from the compartment. She unfolded it and flipped it around. “Where are we going anyway?” she asked trying to figure out if she was holding the map upside down.

“Tupelo, Oklahoma.”

She sat the map in her lap with a crunching sound. She thought back remembering that name from Dean’s laptop earlier today. “The town with the dead guy?” she questioned and Dean nodded. “So you, a mechanic, need to leave in the middle of the night to some one pony town to what?” she asked not believing him. “Fix up the Casper-mobile?”

Dean shook his head a rolled his eyes. “The guys name is Edward Montgomery. His family has their grandfather’s old Mustang sitting in a warehouse. They want me to fix it up and sell it,” he explained.

“So they can’t even wait for the body to get cold? They’re a bunch of heartless sons of bitches?”

“Hey language,” he scolded her and Hayla rolls her eyes. “But yeah.”She scrutinized the side of his face while he looked ahead at the road. He felt her eye on him and gave her a glance. “What?”

“You’re lying,” she deadpanned.

“What?”

“You’re a terrible liar, Dean. I can always tell when someone is lying to me. It’s practically a superpower. You were lying to me at the house and you’re lying to me now.” He pursed his lips together and when she saw that he wasn't going to say anything else she scoffed and returned her attention to the map lying across her thighs. He gave her a side glance and noticed her toying with a familiar trinket.

“What’s that?” he said nodding towards the necklace.

“You never seen a locket before?” she said haughty.

Dean sighed. He’d made her mad. He could already tell she was like him when she was in this state. “May I see it?” he bit back holding out his hand.

Hayla clutched it her hand. “No,” she said as if the damn thing had held her soul inside.

Deans face softened and he turned towards her. “Please?”

Hayla hesitated looking at his out stretched hand before finally reaching to the back of her neck and undoing the clasp. She gently sat the locket in his hand and watched as he looked over it. It was a small oval pendant made of bronze with a thin chain. It had simple design on the front and there wasn’t anything especially extraordinary about the object. Dean opened it and instead of being the traditional two panel locket it had four all right in a long row. The first picture he recognized. It was him. He looked to be about sixteen and a smirk played on his face. The second picture was of a beautiful young girl. She had long silky brown hair that fell across her shoulders in waves. Her eyes were deep chocolate crown and swam with life and laughter. Then there was the smile that Dean had fell for the moment he had stepped out of the Impala that summer at Bobby’s. That was arguable the best summer of his life.

The third panel was of a small child. She had a tuft of blonde hair on the top of her head and the same green eyes Dean sees looking back at him in the mirror. Finally in the third panel was written in cursive lettering: Hayla April 2nd, 1994.

“That was around my neck when the found me on the doorstep of the foster home I was left at,’ she said in a whisper. Deans face fell. “It was my mom’s.”

“I know.” He closed the locket and placed it back in her palm. “I gave it to her.” Hayla’s mouth fell open as she stared at him. the locket in her hand felt ten times heavier now. Dean stared straight ahead at the road. He could still remember the day he had given her that locket.

* * *

It was nearing the end of summer. Dean had turned sixteen that year and Bobby would loan him a truck from the junkyard when he need to go somewhere, but that hadn’t crossed his mind when he was running. He ran seven blocks to Jane’s house that morning the Black Impala had rumbled up the drive. He hopped the fence and skipped the front steps as he ran to the porch and knocked rapidly. Jane had opened the door and smiled as she saw Dean. But that smile slowly faded as she could see his distress. She stepped out onto the porch and closed the door.

“Dean what’s wrong?” Dean didn’t answer her. She rushed forward taking her face in his hand and crushing his lips against hers for a longing kiss. She put a hand on his chest and slowly pushed him back. His eyes were filled with worry. she took his face in her hands and caressed his cheek with her thumb. He leaned into the touch. “What’s wrong?” she asked again.

He took a deep breath and looked into her deep brown eyes. “My dad is back in town.” Jane gave him a questioning look as he took a step back from her to take in her face once more. “Damn it!” He turned away from her and walked down the porch.

“Wait you’re dads back? Dean what does that mean?”

“It means i'm an idiot!” he exclaimed. He walked back over to her and took her hand. “I’m an idiot because I thought for one second that all of this,” he gestured all around them, “this summer, here with you, wasn’t going to blow up in my face. I thought this was going to be the one memory that was going to untouched and untainted by my screwed up life.” He reached up and caressed her cheek. She closed her eyes at the warmth. “But I was wrong.” He dropped his hand and walked over to the railing. “I’m leaving Janey.”

Jane’s heart dropped and she let out a shaky breath. “When?” her voice cracked.

“Now,” he whispered. She nodded a bite her lip as tears welled in her eyes. “I would give anything to stay here I hope you know that.”

“Then do it.” He turned to face her. “Don't go just stay here,” she plead.

“I can’t. It’s-”

“Sammy,” she said cutting him off. She understood Dean’s connection with his brother. he couldn’t be the person to stand in the way of that. “Well then we’ll make it work.” Dean looked down at his feet. “We can-”

“I didn’t come here to make it work Janey.”

Tears fell down her face. “You came to say goodbye.”

“When I leave here I don’t know what’s going to happen. All I know is that things with my dad can get pretty messy. I can’t drag you into that. I won’t.” Jane covered her mouth to hold in a sob and sniffed. Dean walked to her and took her hand to place a light blue box in it. “I know your birthday is in two days. I was going to wait but now…” he trailed off. Jane slowly took the lid off the box to reveal a beautiful bronze locket. Dean took it out of the box and wrapped it around her neck to do the clasps. Then he took her face in his hands again and gave her a gentle goodbye kiss. He slowly pulled back and rested their foreheads together. “Goodbye Janey,” he whispered and Jane’s tear ran freely. He gave her one last peck on the top of her head. Then without looking back. He walked away down the porch and away from the house.

**  
Author's note: I love reviews so please do that! I want to know what you guys think of the story, Is there anything you want me to add? Do you like Hayla? Hate her? please let me know. For you DESTIEL shippers (like me) I added a little something in the next chapter. And even for those NON-DESTIEL shippers it’s a really sweet moment and I hope you guys will like it. Thank you! I hope you guys liked it the next chapter is already almost done so expect that soon. :-)**


	3. Unanswered Prayers

Despite what Dean had said, hunger had overtaken both of them and they stop at a dinner to get something to eat. “What will it be?” the greying waitress asked.

“I’ll have a double bacon cheeseburger, sweetheart.” Dean smiled at the waitress. She nodded and the waitress turned to Hayla.

“I’ll have a veggie burger. Hold the onions.”

“Coming right up.”

Hayla took a drink of her water. She looked up to see Dean’s eyebrows raised asking her a silent question. “What?”

“A veggie burger,” he incredulously.

“Yeah that’s usually what vegetarians eat.”

“You’re a vegetarian?” he exclaimed. She nodded slowly and for a minute thought that his head was going to explode. “What else should I know about you?”

Hayla smiled. “What else do you want to know about me?” she said puffing out her chest. She couldn't help but feel a little proud of Dean’s sudden interest in her.

“Well let’s start with what happened when you came to find me.”

“Well,” she paused. She had tried to find Dean a couple times. She wasn't sure which one to talk about. “I was still in a foster home when I found out who you were. After that I spent most of my time trying to track you down. You know? I had no idea why I was given up and I wanted answers. I thought finding you would be a good place to start, but everywhere I turned was a dead end.” he waitress came back and silently sat their plates in front of them. Hayla picked up a fry and pointed it at him. “You are not an easy man to find. I know you dropped out of high school at 16 around the same time my mom was pregnant, you got your GED, but everything after that was just really jumbled. It was like you would disappear off the face of the earth for months or years at a time. There were news reports of you being dead...or worse. I thought about going to Bobby’s just to make sense of any of it but I thought ‘What’s the point?’ If you really were dead or like you were portrayed on the news, it wouldn’t make a difference. But then I saw the news report in Blackwater Ridge and I don't know something snapped inside me. Next thing I knew I had left behind everything, gathered up as much money as I could get my hands on, and took the first bus to South Dakota.”

“So wait,” Dean said trying to understand her story,” you ditched everything to come find me? ME?” he exaggerated.

“Well ditched is a strong word,” She said taking a bit of her fry.

“What about your friends?”

“I’m kind of a loner.”

“And no family?”

“I’ve been on my own for awhile. Yes.”

He stared at her. Figuring out this girl was going to be harder than he had originally thought. “Just out of curiosity, in all this time you spent looking for me, why not look for your mother?”

“I did, at first.” Her face fell. “And I found her.”

“Where is she?” Dean’s eyes had taken on a hopeful glimmer.

“Plot 246 in Mel Bay cemetery.” She pushed ketchup around on her plate with another fry.

“She’s dead?” He asked breathless and Hayla nods sadly.

“A mugging,” she explained. Dean sat his burger down with a sigh. Jane was dead. “What was she like?” Hayla broke the silence. Dean looked at her questioningly. “Mom.”

“Oh.” Dean eyebrows raised. “Um.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “She was,” he paused looking for the right words to describe Hayla’s mother. A smile graced his face just thinking about her. “She was beautiful. Much like you actually. You have her smile.” Hayla smiled at the ground hearing this. “She was the most beautiful girl that I have ever met. And she knew how to laugh. It was infectious. I mean her laugh made you laugh it was ridiculous,” he chuckled. “She was very into cars.” Dean’s face had noticeably lit up when he talked about Jane and this didn't go unnoticed by Hayla. “I remember her absolutely oozing when my dad pulled up in our 67’ Impala and she spent the next three hours worshiping the thing. And she was smart and spontaneous and fun. She always knew how to have a good time. But she was also very headstrong and determined and stubborn.” He gave her a knowing look. “Sound like anyone you know?” he asked and she rolled her eyes. He sighed. “When I was with your mom everything about my life seemed...easier. Like I could just forget all the bad stuff in my life. She was warm, kind, caring and when I was around her everything just disappeared and I could breath.” Dean looked off distantly recalling that one summer he will never forget.

“Oh my god,” Hayla said breaking him out of his trance. “You were in love her,” she says matter of factly.

“Yeah. Yeah I was.” He chewed on the inside of his cheek guilty.

“Then why did you leave?” Her question was so blunt it had caught him off guard. His mouth hung open for a minute and he sighed before reaching forward and resting his hand over hers on the table.

“Listen,” he got her attention and she looked him straight in the eyes. “If I had known, when I left, if I had known about you, I would have done anything and everything to do right by the both of you. But I was stupid,” He said spitting venom at himself.”When my dad came back that summer I felt I didn’t have a choice but to leave. My dad had brainwashed me. Family came before everything, and now I come to find that I wasn’t leaving with my family, I was leaving behind my family. That will always be my biggest mistake.” A single tear had escaped Hayla’s eye and rolled down her cheek. “I am so sorry,” He said sincerely.

Hayla wiped the tears away on her face and Dean fidgeted uncomfortably. He took his hand of hers with a jerk and ran his fingers through his hair. “Alright,” he cleared his throat. “Enough of that.” He dug in his wallet and pulled out a few bills throwing them down on the table. “We should hit the road. I’ll just get these to go.” He grabbed both of their plates and walked away from the table.

* * *

They finally had reached the heart of Tupelo making an eleven hour trip into eight hours with the way Dean drove. when they finally got there Dean had checked them into a hotel. Hayla walked into the room and threw her bags on the bed before turning to Dean.

“Alright I’ll be back.”

“I’m not going with you?”

“What no. Sit.” He points at her bed and she sits at the end of it crossing her arms. She glared at him stubbornly. “Stay,” he says holding his arms out to her.

“Roll over. Play dead,” She deadpans.

“I could do without the sass,” Dean says as he shoves things into bags. “I’m just trying to do my job.”

“You know you could take me with you. I know a few things about cars.”

“Yeah so Bobby tells me.” He throws the bag over his shoulder and looks back at her. “Well you can’t come with me because you,” he trails off looking for an excuse and he snaps his fingers, “do not have your mechanics licence.” He smirks a little bit proud of the down right lie he just told her.

She cocks her head to the side and gives him a questioning look. “Do you?” The smirk falls from his face and he glares at her. “You know you told me about my mom and thats all great and everything, but when are you going to start telling the truth about you?”

“Just stay here.” He walks out the door and and takes of in his piece of junk car. As soon as she sees it pull out of the parking lot she falls back on the bed with a groan. What was she supposed to do in a boring hotel room while Dean was gone for who knows how long. She started by getting a shower and changing her clothes into jeans and a black tanktop. The next few hours she spent changing channels on the television, jumping on the beds, unpacking and repacking her bags, ordering room service just to spite Dean, playing with the thermostat, and even reading the bible a little. She threw the book across the room with a groan. She was bored out of her mind and it was already rounding onto 6 o'clock with no word from Dean.

“Screw it,” She mumbled to herself and threw on some grey boots and a matching military jacket before walking out of the hotel room.

* * *

Dean could use a drink. He had spent all day chasing down leads interviewing witnesses, researching into lore and all he could come up with was that the spirt was linked to an old amulet that was now with an Abi Winslet. It was already rolling upon nine o’clock and he didn’t want to bother her now. He was sure she would be safe for one more night. So he decided to go to a bar in town called Henry’s.

He walked into the dark building and the place was bursting with energy. It’ was still early in the night but it looked like everyone had been partying for hours. The music was turned up and drinks were flowing. Dean was shocked to see was in the middle of the crowd. On top of a pool table, bottle in her hand, and dancing with a couple other girls was Hayla herself. He had left her in a hotel room and she decided to turn a bar into a full on night club? Dean was beyond furious. He was about to march over there and drag her back to the hotel room, but he stopped. Her smile had grown from ear to ear and she was laughing as everyone around fed happily off the energy. She definitely Jane’s daughter. She embodied fun. Hell, Dean had almost forgot what fun looked like.

She laughed as a row of guys lined up down the table. She walked down pouring a good amount of the amber liquid into each of the guys mouths. When she got to the end of the line she bent down to the man’s eye level with a sly grin. He handed her a shot and had one for himself. They downed them in two seconds and smiled at each other. Hayla grabbed the back of the man’s neck and pulled him in for a long kiss before standing up to continue dancing with the to her two girls happily.

Okay Dean had had enough. He stormed through the crowd till he gets to the table. “Hayla!” he screams over the music.

She takes the bottle away from her mouth and looked down at him. Her eyes widen with excitement. “Hey!” She happily waves at him slightly intoxicated. She jumps down from the table and stubbles slightly. “You joined the party!” Dean yanks the bottle from her hand. “Hey!” she pouts. He slams it down on the table almost shattering it and turns back to her with a scowl on his face. All happiness is wiped from her face and is replaced by her sheepishly staring at the ground.

“Grab your coat we’re leaving!” He growls out and walks away to the door. She walks over to the bar and takes her jacket off one of the stools before following him out.

* * *

The ride back to the hotel was silent. Dean was gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. Hayla played with her hands in her lap not daring to look at him. He was speeding so violently she had no idea had they hadn’t gotten pulled over or how he slowed down fast enough to not going crashing through the hotel building. Dean parked the car and slammed the door as he got out. Hayla flinched at the force and hesitantly got out after him. When she walked through the door he was standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed over his chest, jaw locked. She silently stripped her jacket off and threw it on the bed before closing the door.

“Alright give it to me,” he held out his hand and she could tell that he was trying to keep his voice calm.

“Give you what?”

“The fake ID you used to get into that bar,” he growled. She stared at his hand for a moment and he pushed forward more demanding. She huffed and reached into her back pocket pulling out the small plastic card before slapping it down in his hand. He walked it over to bathroom sink and dropped it in. Then he grabbed the hotel matchbook and struck one before dropping it in as well. Hayla watch silently as her mouth fell open. Dean walked back over to her having dealt with business he let all of his anger out now. “I can’t believe you disobeyed me!” he screamed at her. “I had one rule ‘Stay in the room’ and you broke it!”

“I was here for hours. I got bored!” she screamed matching his anger.

“I don’t care! When my dad gave me an order I stuck to it!”

“Well guess what! I am not you, and you are not your father!” she spat back.

“Yeah? Well I’m doing a hell of a job turning into him. I’m terrified of screwing all of this up, and being the kind of dad he was.” The words had left his mouth before he could stop them. They both visually cooled down. Neither of them believed he just shared something like that.

“Finally a truth,” she whispered. DEan walked over to a bed with a heavy sigh. He ran his hands over his face and gave her a sad look.

“Hayla, why did you find me?”

She sighed as well and took a seat beside him with slumped shoulders. “Cause I thought you would have wanted to know who I was. I wanted to be a part of your life.

“I do want to know you. I do. But, you don't want to be apart of my life. My life, it sucks.” Hayla looked at him in disbelief. She had been with him a week now and she still couldn’t believe how little he knew about her. Anger raced through her veins and she shot up from the bed

“You wanna talk about life sucking?” she yelled. “My life sucked.” His faced looked shocked at her sudden outburst. “My mom dropped me off on doorstep on my first birthday and took off! I ended up in the foster system and caught a break when I was adopted by my own family. I lived with them until I was five but then they had their own kid so they sent me back. For years I was bounced around foster homes all over the country until I was fourteen and one couple decided that I was just a lost cause and kicked me out. I was homeless and I was scared and all I wanted was my parents. All I wanted was a home. And then I found you and I thought ‘Thank god, my prayers are answered.’ But ever since I found you I feel more alone than ever. You’re lying to me you’re avoiding me. I don’t feel like I’m part of a family. I feel like what I’ve always been,” he gave her a questioning look. “ an orphan,” she explained. She wiped away the angry tears on her cheeks and turned back to him calmer. “I get that you’re scared of turning into your dad or whatever, but you’re all I've got.” Hayla grabbed her jacket again and stormed out of the room before Dean had a chance to stop her. He didn’t even try to stop her. She’d come back eventually after she had cooled off. He just need to give her her time.

She decided to take a walk. Just to collect her thoughts. She knew she had been hard on Dean. It wasn’t his fault all of those things had happened to her. He didn’t even know she existed till six days ago.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a blood curdling scream came from a few feet away. On instinct she ran forward towards the sound. “Help me!” she heard again. She finally reached the house the scream had came from and hesitated as her hand reached for the door knob. She had no idea what the screaming was about and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. She should just call the cops. Damn it! She left in such a fuss that her cell phone is back at the hotel.

That’s when a woman slammed into the window lining the door. “Help me!” she cried to Hayla before she was ripped back into the darkness of the house with another terrified scream. Hayla scrambled for the door knob again but the door wouldn’t budge. She pounded and slammed against it, she tried breaking the windows with the potted plants, everything to try and get in the house.

Then, the screaming stopped. Hayla sat the plant back on the ground and took a tentative step towards the door. She reached for the knob again and this time it opened with ease. She stepped inside and felt the temperature drop about twenty degrees making her shiver. “Hello,” she called out with a shaky voice, but no one answered. There was a dim light at the end of the hall. She walked further towards it. “Hello,” she called again. She stepped into the small kitchen at the end of the hall and a rusted metallic smell instantly overtook her. She saw someone lying on the floor a few feet away. Taking a few steps around the the island she saw a gruesome sight. The woman from the window was on the floor lying in a pool of her own blood. Her neck was slit to the point where her head was almost completely separated from her body. She was dead.

“Oh my god.” Hayla covered her mouth to hold in silent screams. She stumbled away from the corpse and backed herself into a counter. That’s when the lights flickered and a noise was heard from the living room. Hayla looked around and spotted a wood block full of kitchen knives. She grabbed a butcher knife and held it with a shaky hand. She looked around the room taking panicked breaths. The she saw a shadow standing in the corner of the dining room ten feet away. Her eyes widened in panic and her heart raced. Then she made a dash for front door, but was blocked by a woman. Hayla froze. She came out of no where and had a sinister grin on her face as she slowly walk towards her. She looked pale grey and was wear ratty clothing. Hayla held out the knife ready to take a stab at her. The woman flew at her in a second and pinned her against the wall, knocking the knife from her hands. She wrapped her cold hand around Hayla’s neck and lifted her from the ground choking her. Hayla coughed and gaped for air and kicked her her legs for solid ground. A loud shot rang through the hallway and the woman disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Hayla dropped to the ground and gasped, air refilling her lungs. She looked over at the front floor to see a man with a familiar face holding a gun. “Dean,” she said in a rasp.

“Hayla? What are you doing here?” He rushed to her side and pulled her up

“I heard someone scream,” she explained. She points to the place the woman was standing in not two minutes ago. “That woman, how did you?”

“No time to explain,” he cuts her off. “She’ll be back. Come on.” He grabbs her arm and starts pulling her shocked form up the stairs.

“Wait hold on a damn minute.” She pulls her arm from his grasp. “Who are you?”

He gives her a sympathetic look. “Hayla-”

“Who are you?” she asks more sternly before her can give her some crap excuse.

He sensed this is what she thought he was doing. “I lied before I admit that. This.” he waved his arms around the scene, “is my job. I kill ghosts.”

“Ghosts?” How could she believe any of this. It was ridiculous.

“Yes.”

“That woman you killed her?” She looked down the stairs again.

“More like just stalled. She’ll be back. Listen, Hayla. I need you to listen.” He snapped her attention back to him. “Take this salt,” he said handing her a carton, “and go in that room. Make a circle and don’t step out of it no matter what.”

“What?” she asked not understanding. Just then the woman reappears behind Dean. “Dean watch out!” She points and Dean whirls around and shoots the woman in the head making her disappear again.

“Go!” He pushes her towards the room and she runs.

They both ran into the bedroom and Dean slammed the door behind them. He took the salt from Hayla’s hand and put a line of it in front of it. Then he walked over to the bathroom door and the two windows and did the same thing. “That should keep us protected long enough.” He walked over to the dresser on the other side of the room and started sifting through it.

“Long enough for what? What are you looking for?”

“An amulet. I thinks she’s tethered to it somehow,” he said as he searched through the bed bed side tables. “Start a fire.” He pointed to the small fire place on the wall.

Hayla ran over to the fire place and started putting logs in. “Why am I doing this?”

“Cause we got to burn the thing to kill her.”

Hayla pulled out her lighter and lit the logs. “Of course we do.”

Dean threw the drawer on the vanity open and pulled out a bronze amulet. “Gotcha.”

Then all the doors and windows opened blowing the salt away and the girl showed up in the middle of the room. Dean stood beside Hayla and grabbed his shotgun trying to take a shot at the woman, but the dresser flew towards them. Dean pushed Hayla out of the way and dropped his gun as he tried to keep the piece of furniture from crushing him.

Hayla saw the shotgun lieing a couple feet away. She quickly got to her feet and made a dash for the gun but was flown across the room and hit her head hard against the wall. She fell to the ground unconscious.

The woman started walking towards Hayla with a wicked grin. “Hey bitch!” Dean called pinned against the wall. He pulled out the amulet from his pocket. The womans face lit with recognition. Dean turned to the open flame a few feet away and tossed the thing in.

“No!” the woman screamed and ran forward but by the time she reached him she had caught in flames and disappeared. Dean was able to push the dresser off of him with ease now. He rushed over to Hyala and checked her over.

“Hayla.” He took her face in his hands. “Come on we got to go,” he tried to coax her awake. “Come on Hayla. Wake up,” he could start to hear the desperation in his voice. He moved his hand to the back of her head to sit her up but when he did he felt a sticky substance. He pulled his hand back and found spots of blood. He scooped her up in his arms urgently and ran for the door.

He got to the local hospital as fast as possible and ran through the doors holding Hayla. “Help!” he called out and nurses started rushing forward. “My daughter she needs help! She hit her head.” He lies her on a stretcher and they carry her away from him.

* * *

He was told the there was no internal bleeding or bruising. Hayla should wake up when she’s ready to, she just needs rest. Dean was visiting her in her room. He looked upon her unconscious form still dressed in her clothes that were now covered in blood salt and alcohol. He ran a hand over his face with a sigh. She was hooked up to a bunch of machines and had multiple wires coming out of her arms. He walked over to the window. The moon had cast a bright light into the dark room. He looked back at the girl before looking up into the sky. He couldn’t believe he was about to do this.

“Hey, Cas,” he said quietly. He shook his head. Why was he doing this? “So, I don’t know what happens to angels after they-” he cut himself short. “So I don’t know if you’re in hell or purgatory or up on some fluffy cloud or just vanished into oblivion. I don’t even know if you can hear me, but I need you to. I just need someone to talk to. Don’t get me wrong I’m still mad as hell for what you did, but now,” words started getting caught in his throat. “Hayla is in the hospital, and it’s all my fault.” a tear fell down his cheek as he continued. “I hurt everyone that I care about. Now I’ve even hurt my own daughter. I regret that I couldn’t make things better with you before all of this happened. But I am trying to make things better right now with that little girl lying in that bed. Thing is, I don’t know what to do.” he sobbed. “What do I do?” he asked the empty sky. Dean looked around the room as if his long lost friend was going to magically show up and that everything would be alright. No one was coming though, and as soon as the was apparent to Dean he looked back to Hayla. He just wanted her out of this place.

Dean stalked over to the bed and ripped all of the wires out of her causing her to stir. “Dean?” she said in a haze.

He looked into her now open eyes and a small smile reached his face at her now awake.“Hey,” he stroked her hair. “I’m gonna get you outta here. Okay?” She nodded and reached her arms out as he scoops her up in his. He walks out into the dimly lit hallways and  carries her from the hospital with her face buried in his neck.

* * *

Hayla woke up in the back of the Impala, her head resting on Dean’s blue military jacket. She sits up and see that the are on an open road. She she slides past Dean trying to climb into the front seat. “Hey take it easy,” Dean said concerned. She plopped down in passenger seat and sighed. He glance over her. She was rubbing the back of her head with a wince. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” she bites out dropping her hand from her head.

His eyebrows raise at her hostility. “Fine,” he says back coyly.

It’s silent for a few minutes before she breaks it again. “Dean who is Cas?” she asks bluntly. Dean is caught off guard.

“It doesn’t matter.” He shifts uncomfortably in his seat.

“Again with the lying,” she groans annoyed. she had really thought that they were starting to grow past that.

“Look I don’t want to lie to you-”

“Then don’t,” she cuts him off. “Just tell me,” she practically begs. “I can handle it.” She is trying to reassure him but Dean is still so unsure. Could he really bring her into this world of darkness. She scoffs when he doesn’t say anything and looks back out the windshield glaring.

“Demons,” he blurts out and her head snaps back to him. “Monsters, ghosts, they’re all real. And me and my brother hunt them,” he explains and he can see her trying to process this information. “Cas, Castiel he was an angel.”

“Was?”

“Yeah. Was. He was my friend, he was my partner, and he betrayed me. Needless to say things didn’t end well. Cas he, well he died.” Hayla’s face gave a sympathetic look. Even she could tell the whatever the Cas person did took a huge toll on her father. “So like I said, it doesn’t matter.”

Dean looked over at her and she straightened up puffing out her chest. “See,” she reassured him. “Handled.” He gave her a smile. She was tough he’ll give her that. She gave him a smile next and sank back into her seat comfortably. “Where to next?” she asked confidently.

“Next,” he said sinking into the casual toned conversation, “we have to get a new car.”

She nodded. This clunker of a car finally made sense. Dean had stolen it. “Where are we?”

“Fayetteville, Arkansas.” Hayla thought for a second and remembered something.

“We can always use my car,” she suggested.

“You have a car?”

“Yeah it’s in a garage about an hours way out.”

“Are you even old enough to drive?” he joked.

She cocked her head to the side and gave him a cold bitch face that would probably put Sam to shame. “I’m seventeen ass hat.” Dean laughed. “The garage is in Harrison.” Dean shook his head still not completely sure. ”Oh come on,” Hayla reaches in her bag and pulled out a set of keys and jingle them at him. “It’s a 72’.” She grinned pleadingly at him.

He gave her a glare. “A 72’ what?”

* * *

“A volkswagen? Really?” He said as they stood in front of the pale yellow bug.

“I like it,” she says offended. “It was a gift. Plus it beats these clunkers that you’ve been burning through.” Dean looks over the car again and gives a deep sigh.

“Alright.” Dean took the keys from her. “Hop in.”

“Woah! No, no, no!” she calls after him to get him to stop. She walks up and snatches the keys back. “My car. My drive. You hop in.” She threw her stuff in the back of the car and got in the driver seat to start up the car. Dean stood there watching her dumbstruck. She rolled her eyes and stuck her head out the window and called to him, “Are you coming?” Dean laughed and walked forward. He threw his stuff in the back as well and climbed in the passenger seat. She flashed him a big grin, shifted the car in gear, and pulled out of the garage.

**  
Authors note: Sorry, this chapter was a little on the longer side. I had a lot I wanted to get in, but I think it turned out pretty well. Let me know what you think. I always love reviews. Thanks again!**


	4. The Mentalist

It had been a couple days since the incidents in Tupelo and Hayla and Dean had fallen into a steady rhythm. The would wake up in the morning, get some breakfast, fill up the cars tank. Then they would drive only stopping for lunch or to pick up snacks, and when it finally reached sun down they would pull into the nearest town, and check into a hotel a for the night. Then they would wake up and do it all over again.

Is was kind of an unspoken schedule they had set after picking up Hayla’s bug from the garage. They weren’t on the road for more than an hour after before Dean had called Bobby, and boy did he get an ear full. “You haven’t been a dad for more than a week and already you’ve corrupted the girl and got her landed in the hospital!” Bobby scolded him. After about fifteen minutes of that Hayla finally stopped finding the whole situation hysterical and assured Bobby that she was fine. Dean told him he was going to give her a few days to recover before he started looking for another case and Bobby had calmed down. He told them that he would see them whenever they rolled back up there and that it better be soon because he was already missing Hayla’s smiling face around the gloomy house.

Dean and Hayla had spent the next few days getting to know each other a little better. Not that they had a choice. What else were they supposed to do in a car for at least eight hours a day every day.

Dean had mostly spoke about his brother Sam. He never said exactly why he wasn’t around for the time being just that they had a falling out and Hayla wasn’t going to push the topic more than that. Still he raved about his brother highly. He talked about how he was so smart and how proud he was. He talked about how he was addicted to research and how he went to Stanford on a full ride. Hayla was impressed at this. That’s how Dean had found out that Hayla had never finished high school. She was on her own before she had even gotten to finish her freshman year.

It was then that Dean came back to the hotel one night with small portable laptop. He sat it on Hayla’s bed beside her and then walked over to the mini bar to grab a beer. “What’s that?” Hayla asked.

Dean popped his beer open and took a swig from it. “It’s a laptop,” he said plainly.

“Yeah I know what it is. We have one.” She pointed to the laptop sitting on the small table not five feet away.

“Yeah, but this one is for hunting and research.”

She narrowed her eyes suspicious. “Then what is this one for?” He sat down his beer on the table and took a paper out of his back pocket and held it up.

“I faked some documents and pulled some strings.” He handed her the piece of paper and she opened.

“You enrolled me in online school?” She gave him a shocked expression.

“I didn’t finish actual high school, but even I got my GED. There is no way any daughter of mine isn’t finishing high school.” Hayla gave him a soft caring smile. He coughed and in a stern voice he said, “You’re going back to school. End of discussion.” He turned away and got on his laptop to start looking for their next case. Hayla ran her hand across the silver laptop. She loved that Dean was starting to act like a responsible caring parent even if he tried to act like he wasn’t.

Over the past few days they had realized how much they had in common. They both loved cars and Dean continued on to talk about his ‘67 Impala that he calls Baby. They both have a love for pie. Dean loves traditional apple but Hayla goes for the more daring choice with black raspberry. And when they weren’t talking they spent the rest of the time rocking out to the best of mullet rock.

They also had their differences though. Dean’s obsession with burgers had nothing over Hayla’s love for gummy bears. She would eat them all day if Dean had let her and one day he actually did just see if she could without getting a stomachache. Hayla also had a love for dogs. She talked about how she had one, a blue-eyed husky named Bear, back when she was in the foster system. That’s how Hayla had found out about Dean’s very stern ‘no dogs in the Impala rule’.

They have been getting along greatly and Hayla was happy. Dean on the other hand couldn’t shake this feeling. Like at any moment the other shoe was going to drop and something or someone or hell even himself was going to ruin everything in the blink of an eye.

They had kept traveling straight east. Well not so much straight as in zigzags. They went from Oklahoma to Arkansas to Indiana to North Carolina and had finally made their way up to Virgina.

Hayla sat against the door of the car while she waited for Dean to pick up some breakfast. As he was walking back she saw him check his phone again for the umpteenth time for any calls from Sam. Judging by the look on his face there were none. She pops another gummy bear in her mouth as he approaches the car. He looks up and gives her a disapproving look. “Will you put the candy away? I just got food,” he complains. He opens the driver side door and hops in.

“Sorry.” She climbs in after him and throws the gummies in her backpack.

“Here,” he digs through the paper bag in his lap labeled ‘FAT MACK’S Bar-B-Q Rib Shack’. He pulls out two small take out containers. “I got you a veggie burrito,” he says handing it to her.

“Thanks you’re so thoughtful,” Hayla says mockingly. Dean rolls his eyes at her and she laughs while taking a bite. He starts up the car and the radio blares with some talk show.

“You’re listening to Morning Chaos with me, Banana’s Foster,” it says through the speakers.

“The hell I am,” Dean grumbles. He goes to turn off the station but stops.

“And now some nes in the weird. Two very odd murders to be exact. Mediums are dying in Lily Dale, the most psychic town in America.” Dean puts the car in reverse and starts speeding out of the parking lot and whipping Hayla around in her seat.

“Think it’s your kind of thing?” she asks steadying herself again.

“It would be a hell of a coincidence if it wasn’t. I mean psychic killings? It’s a clear beacon of supernatural.” His eyes are trained on the road the food far forgotten. Hayla could tell Dean liked this job. Even if she thinks he’s was ten pounds of crazy in a five pound sack.

The drive to Lily Dale takes a few hours then they were checked into another hotel room for the night. By morning Dean was in the bathroom checking himself over in a suit and tie. Hayla held his black suit jacket and dug through the pockets. She pulls out what at first she thinks to be a wallet until she opens it. “FBI?” she asks looking over the very real looking badge. Dean sighed heavily. She had problem with snooping he had discovered. He snatches the coat and the badge from her. “Isn’t that illegal?”

“Highly,” he says pulling the jacket on and stuffing the badge back in his pocket.

“Then why are you doing it?”

“Would you trust the FBI? Let them into crime scenes? Answer all of their questions?” he asks straightening his tie. Hayla shrugs.

“I guess.”

“Thats why.” He turns back towards her and she narrows her eyes knowing what hes about to ask her. “Alright I’m leaving. Please please please, stay in the room?”

“Yeah cause that worked so well the first time,”  she says sarcastically.

“Well  this time I’m not telling you. I’m politely asking you to stay. Plus this time,” he pulls out Hayla’s new laptop and hands it to her, “you’ve got school work to do.” Hayla throws the machine on the bed with a groan.

“What if I get hungry?” Dean pulls out a wad of cash and throws it on her bed.

“Order room service.” Hayla sighs disappointed and Dean feels for the girl. He knows what if feels like to have your dad go out on a hunt a leave you in some scevy hotel room for who knows how long, but he doesn’t know what else to do to keep her safe. “You know what I forgot!” he exclaims as a thought came to him. He walks over to his duffle and pulls out a small box. He walks over to her and hands it over timidly. “I got you something.”

Hayla takes it with a small grin on her face. The takes the lid off of the small box to reveal a small silver pentagram held on the sides with a leather band. She takes out the bracelet and runs her thumb over the shining star. “Thank you,” she breathes out. then she slips it on her wrist and Dean nods.

“Just wear it like your life depends on it, cause it does.”

“I will,” she assures him.

“Alright,” he ruffles her hair and she pushes his hand away with a laugh. He walks over to the door and opens it. “Stay in the room,” he says before walking out and driving away. Hayla groans and throws herself back on the bed.

* * *

Hayla close the laptop and rubs her dry eyes. She has been doing school work for about three hours now and Dean still hasn’t come back. Her stomach growls under her purple henley tank top. It’s still around breakfast time. She grabs the room service menu off of the side table and as she feared it’s nothing but meat, meat, and more meat. Not even a simple cheese pizza. She glances at the clock and thinks about waiting for Dean. He should be home soon… she thinks. Her stomach grumbles again and she sighs. She’ll only be gone for a second. She’ll pick up food and be back before Dean even knows she’s gone.

With her game plan in mind she throws on her black boots and military jacket and heads out the door.

* * *

The street of Lily Dale is one long freak show. You couldn’t throw a rock and not hit a building that didn’t have to deal with a bunch of mumbo jumbo crap. The worst part of it was things were extra hyped up because of some annual psychic festival. She finally had passed every building that had Reading or Psychic in the name and reached a restaurant. She went in with her black skirt sway in the wind and immediately regretted it. The place was even more of a freak show on the inside than on the outside. But that wasn’t the worst part.

“Hayla?” a gruff voice called to her left.

She closed her eyes and silently cursed to herself. She chances a look toward the voice and isn’t surprised to see a very unhappy Dean storming her way. “Hi, Dean.” She gives him a guilty smile as he scowled down at her.

He crosses his arms. “What the hell are you doing here? I thought I asked you to stay at the hotel.”

“Well I’m sorry you booked us at the beer, bacon, and burger room service hotel.” She threw her hands up in the air. “I got hungry. I didn’t have breakfast.”

“What about those gummy bears you love so much?”

“Aren’t you supposed to discourage me from eating candy?”

“Weren’t you supposed to stay in the room?” She looks down at her feet and he runs his hand over his face. “Next time call me. I’ll bring you something,” he sighs. She nods and he gestures for her to follow him. He he pulls up a chair and sits down at a table, She notices another man with shoulder length brown hair as she takes a seat and he gives her a strange look, examining her. Hayla feel his eyes boring a hole in the side of her face and she shoots him and angry questioning look back.

“What?” she snaps at him. He’s about to speak when Dean cuts him off.

“Hayla, this is my younger brother Sam.” Realization hits her and Hayla nods her head understandingly.

“Ahhh, so this is Sam,” she says knowingly. Sam scrunches his eyebrows together.

“ Sam,” Dean speaks again, “this is Hayla...my daughter.” Sam’s eyebrows raise practically to his hairline on his shocked face. He’s staring at Dean in disbelief and Dean shoots him back a look that says he still doesn’t quite believe it either. His gaze shifts back to Hayla and she gives him a smile.

“Surprise.” Sam opens his mouth to speak again but the waiter comes over to their table.

“Hello. Welcome,” he greets Hayla with a smile and she immediately wants to smack it off his face. “What can I get you?”

“Blueberry pancakes and coffee, cream and sugar. Thanks.”

He gives her another smile and looks into her eyes. “Your aura erupts with righteousness.”

The waiter walked away and Hayla gave him a strange look. She felt like she had just been word violated in some manner. “What the hell did he just say to me?” she asked Dean and he rolled his eyes.

Sam looked like he had seen a ghost as he stared between Dean and Hayla. “When the hell did you get a daughter!” he exclaims.

“Remember when we were tracking down the leviathan that jacked our faces, and Bobby said we had a situation?”

“Guilty,” Hayla says raising her hand.

“Huh,” Sam says in disbelief. “So you two have just been driving around for the past week and a half?”

“Pretty much,” Dean says taking a sip of his coffee.

“You really think that a good idea?” he whispers even though Hayla can still hear him. He looks at her and smiles. “You know, with your mechanic career,” he says trying to sound nonchalant. Hayla rolls her eyes.

“You’re a worse liar than he is.” She nods to Dean. Sam gives her a questioning look and then looks at Dean.

“She knows,” he explains as the waiter sets down Hayla and Dean’s order.

“She know? How?”

“I was attacked by ghost,” she says almost proudly. “I ended up in the hospital, cause I hit my head pretty hard. It hurt like a bitch.”

“Hey! Language,” Dean scold her then hands her the syrup. “Just eat your pancakes and be quiet.” She rolls her eyes as she drowns her the blueberries in sugary goodness. She takes a bite and hears Dean snap at some woman, “Can I help you?”

Hayla looks up to see a slightly aged woman with curly red hair and a terrified look on her face. “You're the brothers from the-” she stammers as she reaches for her phone.

“Oh, no, no, no, no,” Sam rushes to stop her. “The Winchester guys on the news a

couple weeks back? No. We get that a lot.”

“Yeah, no. Those depraved killers got put down like the dogs that they were. Us on the

other hand, we're completely harmless,” Dean says very convincingly.

“Oh, yeah!” the woman laughs as she walks up to the table window. “I'm sorry. Silly me. And I can see by your energies, you're completely gentle,” she says happily and Hayla can’t help but think this woman is full of crap.

A man walks up behind the woman and puts his arm around her. “Excuse my friend,” he apologizes in a thick accent. “She's excitable. Sweetheart, look at them, hmm? They're FBI.” Dean and Sam exchange looks. “I'm Russian. We can spot the law. You must be here about the tragedies.”

“Oh, we're just beside ourselves about what happened,” she says mournfully.

“Yeah. And so close to festival season, huh?” Hayla says in a snarky manner and Sam notices Hayla has inherited Dean’s same respect for locals.

“Yeah- no-”

“Of course we are worried. We have no idea what's going on, huh?” he interrupts the woman from putting her foot in her mouth. He takes out a business card and hands it to Sam. “Nikolai,” he introduces himself. “Let me know if I can help you. I'm highly intuitive.”

“Nikolai Lishin, spoon bender?” Sam asks sceptically

“Mm. World famous.” Nikolai picks ups Sams spoon. “Come to my demonstration at the festival, huh?” He makes a hand motion over the spoon and grunts but nothing happens. Now Hayla is sure everyone in this town has completely lost it. “I teach you to harness the power of your mind.” He puts the very intact very normal spoon back on the table. “Come, let's leave them be.” Nikolai ushers to the woman.

“Your daughter is very beautiful,” she gushes to Dean. “She looks just like you.”

Dean nods. “Thanks,” he says a little uncomfortable. The woman smiles brightly and walks away to to her table. “So glad we decided to vacation here, huh? Right?” Dean says sarcastically and Hayla laughs as she takes another bite of pancakes.

Sam pulls his case file back on the table. “All right. Here we go. First death… second death,” he says as he opens it. He slides the file over to Dean. It’s open to a photograph.”

“What am I looking at?” he asked as they got to work.

“Well, see this?” Sam pointed to the picture. “Now, this is Imelda Graven, death number one. She was brained by her own crystal ball.” Hayla looked over the file as she ate.

“Bummer, and ironic,” Dean laughed. He turns over a page. The next photograph is of the medium who was stabbed by the planchette. Dean looks back at the first photograph. “Same necklace?” he observes.

“Yeah. See, Imelda gave it to Goldy in her will.”

“Okay, so, cursed object, maybe?”

“Worth looking into. Goldy's next of kin lives in town, also a psychic,” Sam says less than enthusiastic.

“Oh, good. I haven't had my fill.” Sam pours sugar in his coffee and as he does the spoon bends in his other hand. Hayla drops her fork in shock and looks over at Nikolai’s table.

“He broke my spoon,” Sam says throwing it down on the table slightly upset. Dean picks it up and looks over at Nikolai shocked as well

* * *

They all walk out of the restaurant towards Hayla’s car. “Dude a bug?” Sam asks Dean sceptically.

He hold up his hand as if surrendering. “It’s not mine I swear.” He points at Hayla and Sams gives a small chuckle. Hayla climbs in the back seat and lets Sam sit up front with his brother. The car ride to this girls house was, to say the least, awkward. They all sat in silence as Sam and Dean took turns shifting in their seats. Hayla debats saying something, anything to break the silence but then thought against it.

Once they pull up to the house they had all step out of the car but Dean stops Hayla at her door. “No, you’re not coming,” he says sternly.

“What?” she asks offended.

“This woman needs to believe that we’re real FBI agents. If you’re with us she’s not going to tell us anything,” he explains. She gives him a glare then looks over her shoulder to give a look to Sam. He shrugs and she takes that as a sign of agreement.

“Fine,” she huffs and sits back in the car with her arms crossed. Dean closes the door behind her and she watches as the walk towards the house. Two women came out and who she assumes is Goldy’s granddaughter says goodbye to her friend before inviting the brothers inside.

Hayla sits quietly in the car as they talk to the woman. she scrolls through her phone but nothing seem interesting enough to entertain her. She throws it across the seat and turns to looking out the window and watching as the cars pass by. A blue minivan zooms past the window and that when she notices it. There is a figure on the other side of the street just under a tree. It was a woman. She was pale and in a long gown. Hayla couldn’t make out her face but something about the woman made her stomach turn.

Dean and Sam got back and she watched as they silently got in the car. When she looked back at the tree she was gone. “We have to make another stop. Do you want to be dropped off at the hotel?” Dean asks while Hayla looks out the window. When she doesn’t answer he looks in the rearview mirror at her. “Hal?” He breaks her out of her trance and she blinks.

“What?” she asks unaware Dean had even spoken to her.

“You want to go back to the hotel?” She glances back out the window searching for the woman once more. She still had a sick feeling in her stomach.

“No. No, I’ll just stay with you guys.” She give Dean an uneasy smile through the mirror.

“Alright.” He nods and starts the car to head to their next destination.

* * *

They pull up to The Emporium and Hayla got out with the men. “What are you doing?” Dean asked her.

“Dean it’s a store, not the Pentagon,” she snaps at him. “They’ll let me in without a badge.” She closes the car door and walks ahead of the men into the store.

“Shut up Sam,” Dean scolds as his brother tries not to laugh at the shocked look on Dean’s face.

“What?” he asks defensively but can’t help but crack a smile.

Hayla is looking around the store when The brothers finally walk in. They make their way over to the counter. The man behind the counter puts down his coffee and holds his hands up to them. “Mmm. Mmm,” he hums as he ‘reads’ them. “You're looking... for something.” Hayla rolls her eyes and scoffs as she pretends to look over some items.

“You're good.” Dean says sarcastically.

“You Jimmy Tomorrow?” Sam questions.

“Mm-hmm.”

“We're looking for a necklace,” he explained.

“Oh. Romantic.”

“It would have come in with Grandma Goldy's effects.” Sam pulls out a picture of Imelda

Graven and puts it on the counter to point to the necklace she is wearing.

“Oh. Yes, yes,” Jimmy recalls. “Now, you do know that this is the Orb of Thessaly?”

“We did not know,” Dean replies. Jimmy picks up a large metal box and puts it on the counter. Hayla makes her way over to the counter.

“Very powerful, very rare,” Jimmy explained.

“Let me guess. Very expensive,” Dean says with a smile.

“Worth every penny.” Jimmy opens the metal case and takes out a small leather box and opens it to reveal the necklace.

“Well, in that case…” Dean and Sam both reach for their badges and hold them out to Jimmy. “...we'll be taking the state's-evidence discount,” Dean finishes.

“What's going on?” he questions.

“A murder investigation that we'd like to personally thank you for not obstructing.” Sam reaches out to take the necklace but Kimmy grabs his wrist.

“You know, I give private energetic readings.”

“No, thanks.” Sam pulls his arm back.

“A loss weighs on you. You're angry. It's complicated. Come see me, Agent.” He holds a business card out to Sam and he shoves it in his jacket pocket.

Hayla looks at the necklace still in the box and gets annoyed. “Oh for the love of-” she exclaims and pushes her way past the men. She makes her way over to the counter and gestures for Jimmy to come closer. He leans closer to the girl and she leans over to whisper in his ear. His eyes widen and the boys can’t tell if it’s from fear or just plain shock. When Hayla pulls away he looks at her a visibly swallows. In a hurry he closes the box and hands the necklace over to Hayla. “Thanks, Jimmy. We'll see you,” Hayla says with a smile and walks out.

The men walk out after her. They all walk towards the car while Hayla examines the necklace. Went a little "Mentalist" on you there, didn't he?: Dean asks. Sam glances at him but doesn’t answer. “All right. Next question. What's an Orb of Thessaly?”

“I know one thing,” Hayla says closing the box annoyed. “It's made in Taiwan.” She hands the box to Dean. “The necklace is a fake.”

“Oh, a fake, around here. Imagine that. 'Course, that means that whatever's killing mediums is still out there.” They all get into the bug and start to drive off. Sam looks back at Hayla with a confused look.

“How did you get him to give you the necklace?” He questions.

“Let’s just say usually know how to get what I want.” Sam nods still confused, but doesn’t asks anything else on the way to the hotel.

* * *

The next morning Sam woke Dean and Hayla up with a pounding on the door. He had said something about a call and another murder. Dean got dressed in his FBI getup, he gave Hayla his “stay in the room” speech even though he knew it was pointless and he knew he was going to find her on the streets at some point. He just figure it would buy him some time. He was wrong.

As soon as they left Hayla got dressed in black tank top and jeans. She pulled on her black boots and her brown leather jacket and was out the door. She had gone back to Melanie’s house to see if the woman was once again there. She searched around the tree and the near by wooded area but no such luck.

She pulls herself from the trees and was just about to go back to the hotel when her little yellow bug pulls up in front of Melanie’s house. She still thinks it’s hilarious the Dean, Mr. Macho, had stepped anywhere near her volkswagon, but she chooses not to comment on it. She jogs over to the other side of the street and runs up to the guys. “Hey,” she breathes out. “What’s going on?”

Dean rolled his eyes at her presence as Sam explains, “Melanie gave us a call. We’re gonna check it out.”

“Stay here.” Dean points to the ground. Hayla rolls her eyes and nods. The boys enter the house and Hayla leans against the car to wait for them. It wasn’t long until she felt a chill on the back of her neck and that sick feeling in her stomach. She turned around and there standing not ten feet away in the middle of the street was the woman. She looked at Hayla like she was staring into her soul. It became very apparent to Hayla now that this woman was indeed a ghost. She gasped and ran for the house, bursting through the door.

“Dean!” She called into the house. She ran into the living area and found the three of them. Dean shot from the couch and made his way over to her in big strides. “There was this woman she was under a tree and them she was in the street,” Hayla explains paniced with frantic movements. Dean grabs arms and bends down to her eye level trying to calm her down. “She was pale and old and she looked at me.” Hayla takes a deep breath as she looks into Deans green eyes.

“Who is this?” Melanie questions from her chair.

“My daughter,” Dean answers as he walks over to the window. He pulls back the curtains and looks in the street to see that except for the yellow volkswagen the street is empty. “You saw her?” Dean asks Hayla.

“Yeah right there.” She points to the place where the woman was standing not a minute ago. She runs her hands up her arms feeling unusually cold despite her jacket. “I think she was a ghost.

Dean gives Sam a look and walks back over to sit on the couch. “Yeah. I’d say you’re right,” he says as he plops down. He runs a hand over his face and Hayla takes a seat next to him on the arm of the couch. Melanie stares at all three of them.

“Come on. Ghosts?” Melanie breaks the silence. None of their faces change. “You're serious.”

“Yeah. See, there's, uh, fake whoo-whoo crap, and there's real whoo-whoo crap,” Dean explains.

“Well, yeah, but... ghosts?” she says skeptically.

“Oh, trust me. There's a lot weirder out there than that.” Hayla still feels the sick feeling subsiding and shutters at the thought of there being something worse than ghosts.

“So "The X-files" is real, or you just stopped talking like an FBI agent.”

“Well, um... we're not FBI agents,” Sam says trying to ease the woman into all of this.

Melanie takes in their faces for a moment and says, “I need a drink.”

“I support that,” Dean replies and both Sam and Hayla give him a bitch face.

The all walk out of Melanie’s house and towards the car. “You know, if this is a spirit, it ain't your average spook tied to a house,” Dean observers. “I mean, this thing is boogieing all over town.”

“Not surprised.” Sam points to some signs across the street that have something to do with physics. “I mean, how many crystal balls do you figure there are in Lily Dale?”

Dean takes this in for a second. “Somewhere between 50 and, uh, all of them.”

“Well, I mean, quartz can act as an antenna for spirits, right? I mean, that's why mediums started using crystal balls in the first place.”

“Well, that means that every storefront in town has got a ghost satellite dish.”

“Exactly. And this place is packed with people summoning spirits.”

“Please,” Hayla scoffs. “Most of these guys can't even call a taxi.”

“All it takes is one,” Sam says

“That's gonna be like looking for a needle in a stack of fake needles,” Dean says obviously annoyed.

“It's worse. I mean, I'll bet you anything some of these guys got real juice. I'm not talking kill-people level. I'm just saying, enough to make it complicated.”

“I hate this town. Alright, so,” Dean opens his car door and looks back at Sam, “what? Start hitting up the Miss Cleo's?

“I was thinking split up and canvass. It's faster,” he says before walking away.

“Right. 'Course you were,” Dean mutters to himself. He looks over at Hayla to see her staring across the street. He looks in that direction but sees nothing but a tree. “Hal?” he says concerned. She blinks and looks at him. “You okay?” she nods as she looks at the ground. “Did she hurt you?”

“No,” she said sounding confused. “She just looked at me. Like she was examining me.” Dean scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. “It felt...weird.” Just then Melanie burst through her front door and runs up to the car talking about her friend who had some vision.

They all quickly get in the car and sped over to Camille’s. They walk up together and Melanie rings the doorbell. Camille answers and gives them a disbelieving look.

“It's okay,” Melanie assures her. “Like I said on the phone, he can help.”

“Phony lawman, huh?” she questions.

“Yeah, 'cause nobody can relate to phony around here,” Dean snaps back taking in her ridiculous costume and decor.

“Who’s she?” She points to Hayla.

“Ghost hunting intern,” Hayla replies sarcastically.

Camille throws her hands up in surrender. “Well, if you can do something, I don't care if you call yourself the Pope.”

“Alright. What happened, exactly?” Dean questions.

“What happened is, I had a friggin' vision. Something is coming for me,” she says panicked.

“What's coming? Did you get a look?”

“No. But I sure felt it when it started breaking my bones.” She looks up at them, her fear clear on her face. “I don't want to die.”

“Okay. We'll figure it out,” he assures her. “The vision happened in here?”

“Yeah, by the cash box.” She points to the time on the desk. Dean walks over looking over everything. The he notices a camera in a mask on the wall.

“There any chance good-lookin' was watching?”

* * *

They all gather around the computer as they watch the footage from the surveillance tape. It shows Camille walking across the room with the cash box then the picture cuts out.

“What was that?” she asks. Dean rewinds and replays the footage. A ghost of a woman can be seen behind Camille. She gasps.

“What the hell?!” Melanie exclaims.  

“Oh, my God,” she says freaked out. The ghost on the video footage walks up behind her and puts her hands on her head. “Oh, my God!” she says even more freaked.

“W-was that, I mean, an actual-” Melanie stutters.

“Bona fide,” Dean confirms.

“Dean,” Hayla whispers to him. “It’s her. The woman from the street”

“Yeah. Well, no offense, but nobody's having psychic visions around here. This, uh, spirit, whoever she is, is giving them out.

“And then killing people?” she asks tentatively.

“Until we stop her. Well, the good news is you said you saw a clock and it read 2 a.m., so that gives us a little time. Now, does anybody recognize this chick?”

“You know, I swear I've seen her,” Melanie says staring at the screen, “like in a painting or something.”

“A painting?” he questions. “Like, a-”

“No,” she cuts him off. “Not a painting. In one of those old photos in the museum.

Dean and Hayla get in the car and give Sam a call to meet them at the museum to follow this lead.

* * *

“Lily Dale has long been a haven for the psychically gifted,” the museum guide says as he leads the group through the halls. “Tortured elsewhere, they're embraced here. My own family has a modest natural gift. We also celebrate our long and colorful history of... embellishers.” People in the group laugh. The museum guide gestures towards a display. “Ectoplasm illusion, circa 1890.” Sam rolls his eyes and walks out of the room with Dean and Hayla behind him. “Walking, walking,” he says ushering the crowd along.

The three walk into a hall that was advertised as “Sibling Acts”. Sam and Dean walk along the wall with many photographs. They meet in the middle where there is a picture of “The Mystifying Campbell Brothers”. Sam sighs.

“Never ended well for the siblings,” the museum guide says to the pair.

“Why is that?” Dean questions.

“Mm, the strain of working together, or maybe just being around each other all their lives. Those two were the exception, actually.” He points to the picture. “The Campbells got along famously. Of course, that was just a stage name. They weren't actually brothers. That was a cover for their, um... alternative lifestyle.” They all nod in understanding. “Any other questions I can answer?”

“Yes. Who are they?” Sam points to a picture of two sisters one of which Hayla recognizes.

“Oh, the Fox sisters -- among the founders of Lily Dale. Kate Fox,” he said pointing to the woman from the surveillance video, “quite troubled, apparently, but mesmerizing onstage. She's said to be able to levitate objects and foretell one's death.”

“That's her,” Dean whispers to Sam

‘Her older sister, Margaret...perhaps not a natural psychic.”

“So, full of crap,” Hayla said bluntly.

“Yes, well... she didn't have her sister's charisma, but she looked after Kate. Sometimes, one's true gift is taking care of others.”

“So, what happened to them?” Dean questions.

“Lived here all their lives.”

“Lived here and died here?” Sam adds.

“Yes, well... buried in the cemetery.”

“Great. That was very educational,” Sam says with no sincerity in his voice. “Thank you. Dean,” he calls to his brother as he walks away.

Dean and Hayla go to follow him but the guide grabs Dean’s arm. “I’m sorry, I don't normally do this during business hours, but do you know an Eleanor... or an Ellen?” Dean tries to give a chuckle but hayla can see on his face that the man had hit a nerve. “She seems quite concerned about you. She wants to tell you, pardon me, if you don't tell someone how bad it really is, she'll kick your ass from beyond. You have to trust someone again eventually.” He let go of Dean’s arm and gave a small smile. “Anyway, don't forget to visit the gift shop.” Hayla follows Deab out of the museum and down the steps to where Sam is waiting for them.

“Alright. Hit up the graveyard, dig up Kate?” He asks walking towards the car.

“Alright. Wait a second,” Dean stops him.”

“All signs point to her, Dean,” he brushes him off.

“No. Just hold on a damn minute.” Both Hayla and Sam stop in their tracks at his words. Sam turns and faces Dean while Hayla watches them both at a distance. “Enough with just the facts."

“We agreed-” Sam starts but Dean cuts him off.

“No, we agreed to work the case. We didn't agree for you to be a dick the whole time.”

Sam’s mouth hangs open. “What?”

“You're pissed, okay? And you've got a right.”

“Yeah, damn straight,” he argues back.

“But enough's enough.”

“Says who?” he asks playing the part of the pissy little brother remarkably well. “Look, I'll work this damn case, but you lied to me, and you killed my friend,” he spat and started to walk away. Hayla was starting to understand the ‘falling out’ that Dean had talked about.

“No, I put down a monster who killed four people,” Dean spat back, “and if you didn't know her, you'd have done the same thing,”

“I did know her, Dean.”

“Yeah, which is why you couldn't do it,” he calls after him. “Look, I get it. There are certain people in this world, no matter how dangerous they are, you just can't.”

“Don't pull that card! That's bull. Look, if I've learned one thing, it's that if something feels wrong, it probably is!” Sam shouts.

“Usually, yeah. But killing Amy was not wrong,” Dean says matching Sam’s anger. “You couldn't do it, so I did. That's what family does, the dirty work. And I woulda told you, eventually, once I knew that this whole waving a gun at Satan thing was a one-time show. I think it's reasonable to want to know that you're off the friggin' high dive, Sam. You almost got us both killed, so you can be pissed all you want, but quit being a bitch.”

Dean walks past Sam and gets in the car leaving Sam and Hayla watching after him. Hayla walks up to Sam and places a hand on his shoulder. Sam gives her a tired grin and taps her hand before silently walking over to the car as well. Hayla sighs and follows him.

* * *

Night fell and it was just about time for the men to head out to the graveyard. “You staying here?” Dean asked Hayla who was sitting on her bed. He figured she was going to do what she wanted anyway, so asking her was the only way he was going to know what was going on.

“No I’d rather go with you. This whole seeing ghosts thing is giving the creeps.” Dean nods understandingly. “Plus I like seeing you work.” He scrunches his eyebrows together in confusion. “There’s an intensity about it. A passion. You don’t often get to see someone do the thing they love,” she says with a smirk. “With the people they love,” she adds. “No matter how crazy it maybe.” He laughs at this. “Dean what did you mean when you said Sam was ‘waving a gun at Satan’?” Dean’s smile goes away and he looks to the ground. “You don’t mean Satan like, the real Satan...right.” Dean looks up concern written on his face. He opens his mouth to answer but is cut off by a knock at the door.

“We’ll talk later,” he assures her. She nods and Dean turns to open the door. Sam Stand on the other side with a shovel in hand.

“Time to go.”

Dean holds the flashlight while Sam stands in the grave digging. Hayla sits on the gravestone keeping look out. It’ makes her feel uncomfortable with how comfortable she is with the whole situation. “I get why she's killing people,” Sam says hauling another shovel of dirt out. “I don't get why she's warning them.”

“Give them a taste of the curse, maybe? It couldn't have been a joyride,” Dean suggests. “What I don’t get is why she reached out to Hayla.” He scratched the back of his head in thought. “Twice now she’s seen the ghost and it didn’t try to hurt her, it didn’t give her any visions, Hayla doesn’t even fit the M.O.” Sam finishes digging and throws the shovel out. “I don’t know it’s all very weird.” He gives Sam a hand up out of the grave.

“Here we go,” Sam says.

“Hal, be careful. This ghost might not be too happy that we’re trying to waist her,” Dean warns. Hayla hops off the stone and takes a few steps back from the grave. She watches as Dean pours lighter fluid and Sam pours salt onto the bones in the coffin. Just then the woman materializes and rushes at Sam, sending him sprawling.

“Sam!” Hayla gasps. She rushes towards him and the woman looks at Hayla. When she tries to take a step towards the girl Dean holds out a lighter.

“Back off, crazy eyes,” he threatens.

“Listen to me. Why isn't anybody listening?” she pleads. Dean holds out his lighter and flicks it, but it doesn’t catch. “No!” she screams.

“You don't get a vote.” He flicks his lighter again but it doesn’t light.Sam pushes Hayla behind him and pulls some matches out of his pocket.

“No! Stop!” she screams again. Sam strikes the match and i lights. He flings it into the grave just as she charges at Dean. “No!” Just as she reaches Dean she bursts into flames. Hayla shields her eyes from the heat and when she looks back the woman had disappeared.

“Nice timing,” Dean breaths out. He flicks his lighter closed and shoves it in his pocket. He walks over and Helps Sam and Hayla up. “You okay?” he asks checking her over.

“Yes I’m fine.” She smiles.

“Come on lets get out of here.” He wraps his arm around her shoulders as they walk back to the car.

* * *

Back at the car Dean called Melanie and gave her the all clear with satisfaction on his face. Just another job well done. They were almost to the hotel when Melanie called again. “Melanie?” he answered. Hayla and Dean perked up. “What's going on?” They could hear her panic on the other end. “Wait, what do you mean it's-” It was clear that whatever they did didn’t solve the problem. “Alright. Listen to me. Calm down,” he instructed.

“Dean, just give me the phone and drive.” Sam snatched the phone away and presses it to his ear. “Melanie? Hey. Get to the kitchen,” he tells her. “Alright, just go. Get salt.” Dean turns the car around and speeds down the road back towards Camille’s Hayla can hear screaming on the other end other line “Find iron. Is there a fireplace? Melanie!” he screams but it’s clear that the line is dropped and by the time they reach Camilles’ its too late. When they pull up to the house Melanie is walking the front step with tears in her eyes. Dean rushes forward and Melanie throws herself into his arms sobbing.

They take Melanie back to her place and the sit in the living room as she takes a shower. “Should have known that whole "good sis, bad sis" story was just showmanship crap.” Dean bites. “Oh, and it turns out that Kate was just trying to warn people about her evil bitch sister. And we burned her bones, so that's gone.” Hayla sat on the couch with her head in her hands. She needed to rest. It was morning now and she hasn’t slept in over twenty four hours. But just knowing there was another ghost out there was making her feel uneasy. So she wouldn’t sleep until it was taken care of.

“Dean,” Sam says trying to calm him down.

“What?” he snaps.

“All we can do now is go stop her.”

“That's not good enough, by a mile.”

“I know. Believe me. But-” Then Melanie walks down the stairs in her robe. “Can we talk about this later?” he whispers. Hayla stands up as Melanie walk over, still crying.

“Hey. How you holding up?” Dean asks her.

“Been better.” She wipes away a tear.

“Listen, if you need for us to leave-”

“I need you guys to leave,” she confirms.

“Okay, we will. It's just that... Look -- Margaret is still out there,” Sam reminds her.

Melanie covers her face with another sob and takes a deep breath. “What do you guys need to know?”

“Is there anything that stood out?” he questions.

She raises her eyebrows and gives a humorless laugh. “Well, um... she barely gave a crap about me. I mean, I was just in the way. She was all about getting Camille.”

“Okay. That's something,” Dean confirms.

“One other thing. Um... she enjoyed it. She was smiling.” This sent chills down Hayla’s spine. Sam and Dean exchanged looks and thanked Melanie.

* * *

After they left the house they all headed back to the grave year to find Margret. Once again Hayla sat on the stone at the head of the grav and kept a look out while the boys took turns digging. “I feel naked doing this in daylight,” Dean says shoveling out some more dirt.

“Yeah. Let's just hurry up,” Sam rushes him.

A few minutes later Sam is finishing off the grave and they can see the coffin. Sam raises the shovel and slams the coffin open. “Alright, Mags. My lighter's juiced this time,” Dean says flicking his lighter open. Sam pulls out the wood planks and finds that the coffin is completely empty.

“Come on let’s go.” Dean helps Sam out of the grave and the gather their stuff to head back to the car. “Geraldo'd,” Dean gruffs.

“Not good,” Sam says.

“Never good,” He agrees.”

“Dean, if someone knew enough to take Margaret's bones, they're not kidding around. That's serious binding magic.”

“Great,” He mumbles.” They throw their stuff in the trunk of the car and Hayla and Sam lean against it. “Psychic ghost bitch on a leash.”

“We got to find those bones.”

“So we got to find the bonehead,” Dean jokes. He empties his pockets and pulls a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and tosses it into the trunk.

“So, what? We call Bobby, see what it take to harness the power of a ghost?” Sam suggests.

“Yeah.” Dean cocks his head at the flyer and picks it back up. It is a flyer for the Annual Lily Dale Psychic Festival. “Hey, Sam, you know why I'm not going to spend my money at the annual Lily Dale E.S.P. Festival and hot-dog-eating contest this year?”

“Can't imagine,” he says not really paying attention.

Dean holds the flyer out for Sam to see. The featured acts were to be Imelda Graven, Grandma Goldy and Nikolai Lishin. “Because all the headliners are dead.” This catches Sam’s attention and suddenly they are on a whole other lead. “Call Bobby and find out what kind of binding magic this is. Hayla come with me. We’re going to go to Melanie’s, find out who the ghost may target next,” Dean orders as him and Hayla hop back into the car and drive away from Sam.

* * *

They reached Melanies and explained the new theory to her as she looked over the flyer. “You know, after Nikolai. They asked Camille to take his spot. I mean, she's so popular. Was so popular.”

“Okay, uh, all these people -- would you say that they're the, uh, you know, top dogs in town?” Dean asks.

“Well, it's not really like that.”

“But they were all doing well. I mean, your grandma?” Hayla cuts in.

“She wrote a few books. Yeah, and Imelda was on "The Nate Berkus Show" twice, so, yeah, I guess they were doing pretty well. You think that's why she went after them?”

“I mean, if you had to guess, who do you think would be next in line?” Dean asks again.

“I mean, I don't know.”

“Well, your grandma was headlining at the big hall, so who do you think they would ask to fill in for her?”

Melanie shrugs. “Probably…” realization hits her and she goes pale, “Me.”

“Hayla grab the salt cantine from my bag and draw a circle,” he instructs and Hayla got to work. Dean pulled out a shotgun from his bag and started to load it while Hayla finished up.

“There,” she said as the circle was completed.

“Nice,” Dean complimented her.

“You sure that'll work?” Melanie said sceptically.

“That should hold her off long enough for Sam to find the bones and burn them. Hopefully.”

“Hopefully?” she says sounding faithless in this plan. “Does it hurt 'em? Burning their bones?”

Dean thinks for a moments. “I never really thought about it. Probably, yeah.” He nods.

“Good.” She says with confidence and Dean smiles. His phone ring and Hayla knows Sam’s probably got the trail on the bones.

“Sam, tell me you got this,” Dean pleads. Hayla hands Melanie an iron poker from the fire place and picks up one of her own. “How do you know?” She could hear Sam’s unhappy voice on the other end. “Alright, well, figure out where he put her bones.” Melanie looks out the window and gasps as she see Margaret. “Fast Sam.” He hangs up the phone. He grabs his shotgun but when he turns back around she’s gone.

“Is she gone?” Melanie looks around.

“I doubt it,” he replies still on guard. He pushes Hayla behind him away from the window.

“But she can't get past the line, right?” Hayla asks,

“Right.” A second later the window glass bursts inwards and wind howls in. “Damn it,” he curses as the wind blows a gap in the ring. “I hate when they do that. Get the salt,” he orders. “Go.” Melanie digs in his bag for the salt. Margaret appears right in front of Hayla.

“Dean!” she panics. Dean whips around and Margaret sends him flying across the room, the wind being knocked out of him. Melanie holds the poker out in front of her and backs away. A shot sounds and Margaret disappears. Hayla sees Dean back on his feet as he cocks his gun and she breathes out a sigh.

“Come on Hal.” He pushes her towards the kitchen and Melanie grabs salt out of a cabinet and starts lining the door. Suddenly the ghost appears again. “Get behind me,” he shouts at the girls. He raises his gun at her. “This is as far as you go bitch.” She smiles menacingly at him and the lights start to flicker and the floor shakes before it cracks and the line of salt is once again broken.

“Aww,” she fake pouts. “Sorry handsome.” He shoots her again and she disappears once more. No more than a few seconds later she appears again. Dean cocks his gun to shoot her again but he’s out of bullets. He throws the gun on the counter and pulls and iron chair from his bag and swings it at her. She comes back quickly and pushes Dean into the living room. He tries to get up but she kicks him and he passes out.

“Dean!” Hayla screams. She makes her way over to him but she turns around and flings Hayla against the wall.

“Too bad,” she says to Melanie. She rushes forward and wraps her hands around Melanies neck, choking the life out of her. Then all of a sudden she backs off and before Hayla knows it the ghost bursts into flames with a scream. Sure it’s over now Hayla collapses against the wall exhausted.

* * *

They all get the well deserved rest they needed and the next morning they meet at Good Graces for breakfast. “In the bed? They were in the bed?” Sam and Dean just got done telling the events from last night like they were trading war stories. Hayla watched in amusement as Dean cringes.

“Yeah,” Sam says taking a sip from his coffee.

“Ugh. I can't believe he was boning her,” Dean says in disgust.

“Dean,” Sam groans at his brother's joke. Hayla smiles and rolls her neck. It’s still sore from last night.

“You okay?” Dean checks on her.

“I thought I was done being thrown around by ghosts,” she jokes but can still see concern in his eyes. “I’ll be fine,” she assures him.

Their waiter comes over to their table with that stupid smile of his. “Can I get you anything else?”

“Uh, just a refill. And if you affirmate me, I'm gonna punch you in the face.”

Both Sam and Hayla look away trying to contain their laughter. “Alrighty then,” he says with another smile. “Coffee, coming up.”

“I can't wait to get out of this frickin' fortune cookie,” Dean groans.

Sam sees Melanie enter the diner and nods towards her. “Dean.” Dean waves his hand to catch her attention and she starts to walk over. “I'm gonna go, um... do something outside,” Sam says not so subtly.

“I’m going to go help him,” Hayla says with a smirk.

Hayla walked outside and saw Sam at his car that was parked right behind her’s. He was leaning against his car so she went to stand next to him.

“You did good the past few days Hayla,” he says looking back at the diner. She smiles at the ground. “You really stuck in there. You’d make a hell of hunter.”

She laughs. “I don’t know about that.”

Sam smiles at her. “Don’t be modest. It’s in your blood.” He shoves her slightly and she laughs again.

“Yeah that’s all still kinda new to me.” Sam gives her a questioning look. “You know Sam growing up I didn’t really have a family, or a home, or anything really.” Sam’s eyes glimmer with sympathy for the girl. “But now I have Dean, and Jodi, and Bobby,” she grins at the tall man. “I’ve never had an uncle but as far as they go, I think I could do a lot worse than you.”

Sam smiles and pulls the girl into a hug. Even with her boots on Sam towered over her. She buried her face in his chest and sighed. When he pulled back she gave him a sad smile and he walked away to the back of his car and opened his trunk. Hayla was sure he was going to leave again, but then he looked up and smiled.

“Well, are you going to help me with my bags?” Hayla smiled and ran over taking one of Sam’s bags and throwing it in her trunk. Just as they load everything of his in Dean comes walking out of the restaurant.

“Hey,” he greets them.

Hayla beams his way and Sam greets him back, “Hey.”

“That's your stuff.” He points to the trunk where the new bags are added.

“Yeah. Yeah. I figured we'd take one car,” he says casually.

“Works for me. You still want to break my face?” he asks not completely joking.

Sam smiles anyway. “No. Uh, not at this moment. Look, you know what? Um... You were right. About Amy. If she was... just any monster, I'm not sure I could have let her walk away. I don't know. I mean, I'll never know.”

“So, what are you saying?”

“What I'm saying is... I get why you did it. You were just trying to make sure no one else got hurt. But here's the thing. You can't just look me in the face and tell me you're fine. I mean, you're not sleeping, you drink for the record -”

“Oh, here we go,” he groans.

“Look, whatever. Last one to preach, I know. But... Just be honest with me. How are those the actions of someone who knows they did the right thing?

“You want me to be honest?”

“Yeah.”

“I went with my gut. And that felt right. I didn't trust her, Sam. Of course, ever since Cas, I'm having a hard time trusting anybody.” Hayla hears his voice go between a crach and chuckle as he tries to laugh off whatever it is that Cas did, and she makes a mental note to try not to bring up the touchy subject. “And as far as how I been acting... I don't know. Maybe it's 'cause I don't like lying to you. You know, it doesn't feel right. So, yeah, you got me there. I been climbing the walls.”

“I know how that is,” Sam nods. “But, hey... If I learned one thing from that museum, sibling acts are tough.” Hayla smirks at this.

“Oh,” Dean scoffs. “Don't compare us to that hall of crazy.”

Dean and Sam walk around to their designated sides and Hayla goes to the back.

“We're like poster kids of functional family life compared to them.”

“It's a low bar,” Hayla laughs.

“Well, hey... grading on a curve has got me past everything since kindergarten, so don't knock it.”

“Whatever you say,” Sam puts his hands up in surrender. They all get into the car and Sam gives a sigh. I still want to know how that guy bent my spoon.”

“Forget it, Sam. It's Lily Dale.” All three of them smirk and Dean start the car and drives away.

**  
Authors note: These chapters are getting longer than I expected and if you guy want me to break them into parts let me know. So please please please please review. I love reviews. I really appreciate it. I hope you like the chapter. I can’t wait to start writing for Sam and Hayla I think they have the potential to be super cute and funny. Thanks for reading :-)**


	5. Cabin in the Woods

It had been another week on the road. Sam and Dean were still on rocky waters but Sam and Hayla were getting along famously. Dean had swore he had never seen Sam smile for such a long period of time in his entire life. There was just something about that gorl that inspired that in people he guessed. Her and Sam spent most of the hours in the day together. They would talk and laugh and Sam would help Hayla with her school work and for a couple of days things seemed relatively normal. Well, normal for everyone except Dean. Dean was still his chip on the shoulder self and he had often heard Hayla ask Sam what his ‘problem’ was. Which of course Sam answered with yet another story from their past of what could be eating away at Dean this time.

They had just reached the outskirts of Kentucky and were packed away for the night. Dean sat in the dark. He couldn’t sleep so he does what he usually does. He sits in the corner and watches over Sammy. This time however it’s not his little brother that has his undivided attention. It’s the little girl in the other bed. Hayla’s curly blonde hair is sprawled out  across the pillows and even in her sleep she has Jane’s locket around her neck. The bracelet that Dean had given her can be seen poking out from her hand tucked gently under her head. Dean was grateful for this because there was still something itching him about their last case.

Hayla had seen the ghost...twice, and it didn’t even try to harm her. It wasn’t even after her. Then the case before that she happened upon another ghost? He didn’t think there was anything particularly wrong with it, it just made him feel uneasy. He decided to give Bobby a call, just to be one hundred percent sure nothing weird was going on.

“I don’t know how to describe it Bobby! I guess you could say they’re...drawn to her.” he says trying to find the right words.

“Don’t get snippy with me boy. You’re the one that called me at six in the morning,” Bobby snaps back at him.

“Well have you heard of anything like it?” He’s hiding in the bathroom away from Hayla and Sam’s ear shot.

“Of course I have.” He could hear Bobby flipping through one of his big old books.

“What’s the theory?” Dean scratches the back of his head looking into the mirror. He looks like crap but that could have something to do with him not having slept in a few days.

“Well,” Bobby sighs, “it could just be Hayla. That girl has had a pretty messed up time growing up. Maybe even more than you or me. I mean sure we got bat around by the universe a good amount of times, but we’ve always pulled ourselves from the fire, we’ve always had something to fight for. Until she found you, she had nothing. There is a lot of darkness there, Dean. Ghost, demons, monsters, they eat that kind of stuff up like it’s candy.”

“Are you kidding me. That girl smiles more than a clown.”

“Yeah cause faking a smile is a new concept to this family,” Bobby grumbles.

Dean sighs. “So you’re just saying it’s her past that’s got the ghosts so hyped up? That’s all you got for me?”

“Well that’s the only natural thing, but there are a lot more theories that are...not so natural,” Bobby says trying to find the best way to word things without making Dean upset.

“Wait are you saying…” Dean absorbs the information for a moment and anger boils in him. How could Bobby even go there. “There is nothing supernatural about my daughter, Bobby!” he growls through the phone.

“I’m sorry Dean. It was just a suggestion.”

“Yeah, well keep your heinous ‘suggestions’ to yourself!” Dean sighs and Bobby stays quiet on the other end. “I’m sorry. I’m just tired,” he apologizes for snapping.

“Dean I know it hard to hear. I know you want everything to be fine but if you think that something is up, we have to look at this, like we look at everything else. We consider all possibilities and start crossing them off the list.”

“What? You’re saying just send her up with you for a couple of weeks?” He heard Bobby sigh through the phone. Dean leaned over the counter and chewed on this “ I don’t know let me think about it.” Dean hung up the phone quickly and exited the bathroom in a huff. He found both Hayla and Sam sitting at the end of their beds. They both had obviously heard his conversation.

“What was that all about?” Sam asked.

Dean looks down at his phone with a gives a short laugh. “Does it have anything to do with me?” Hayla asks. Dean looks at her and could see the guilt on her face for thinking she had caused any friction between Dean and his surrogate father.

Dean gives her a sympathetic look. “We’ll talk about it later,” he brushes the questions off. Hayla rolls her eyes and scoffs.

“Yeah, sure. ‘Later’,” she bites. She hops from her bed and glares as she passes Dean to the bathroom. He turns to stop her but she slams the door shut. He closes his mouth as he hears the water to the shower.

Dean runs a hand over his face and looks to Sam. “You look exhausted,” he says pointing out the obvious. “Why don’t you get some sleep. I’ll look out for her. Make sure she gets something to eat. Just rest.”

Dean nods. “Yeah you’re right. I just need to sleep.” Dean walks over to Sam’s offered bed. “Thanks Sammy.” He pats his younger brothers shoulder and collapses on the bed and within minutes falls asleep.

Hayla gets out out of the shower dressed in some ripped jeans and a white tank top. When she steps back into the room she’s glad to see that Dean is asleep. “Shower’s open,” she tells Sam who is typing away on his computer.

“Alright. I’ll get a quick shower and then I’ll go out to get us some breakfast.” Hayla nods as Sam walks into the bathroom. Hayla sits with a sigh at the end of her bed and looks over to Dean. ‘Later.’ That was all Hayla had heard from him every time she asked him a question. She asked about Sam ‘seeing Satan’. She asked about the dirty trench coat that held a permanent residence in the back of her car. Now she’s pretty sure he’s sending her back to North Dakota and she always gets the same answer. “We’ll talk about it later,” she grumbles to herself and scoffs. “Yeah right.” Hayla gets up and kneels down to her bags by the door. She pulls out a loose fitting sweater and pulls it over her head. When she stands back us she knocks the table and Dean’s bag falls over, and the car keys fall out. Hayla stares at the keys for a moment. She looks back at Dean to see him still sound asleep. She can still hear Sam in the shower. She grabs her book bag and leaves behind her duffle cause she’s sure Sam and Dean won't be far behind her. She grabs the keys, silently slips out the door, and drives away.

* * *

Sam finishes with his shower and walks out of the steam filled bathroom. Drying his hair with a towel he looks around the room and finds no sign of the blonde girl. “Hayla?” He looks by the door where their bags are and notices her backpack is gone. He rushes to the door and opens it to see that the car, that was parked right outside their door, is now gone. Sam bounds to his brother and shakes him. “Dean wake up. Hayla took the car she’s gone.” Dean’s eye open in panic and he hops out of bed.

Sam is rushing around the room gathering all of their stuff. “She couldn’t have gotten far,” Dean says as he picks up Hayla’s duffle. “She left her bag behind,” he observes puzzled. “But she took her backpack. Why would she do that? that thing will last her a day.”

Realization hits Sam. “She knew that when we came after her it wouldn’t take us long to find her. Which means we know where she’s going. We just don’t know we know.”

“How are we supposed to figure out that Riddler?” Dean shouts.

“I don’t know Dean! Is there any place that she mentioned to you? Any place that means something to her?”

Dean shrugs at a loss. Then he looks back up at his brother and Sam can practically see the light bulb go off in his head. “What?”

“The cabin,” he says quietly.

“What cabin?”

“When Hayla was born, Jane bought a cabin in Tennessee. Hayla said shes been there a couple time in past years.”

“Well do you know where it is?”

“Yeah,” Dean says gathering his stuff quickly now. “Let’s go.”

They rush out the door and quickly steal a car right there in the parking lot of their hotel. They are driving down the highway and Sam is speeding towards Tennessee. “She usually pull these kind of stunt?” Questions his brother in the passenger seat.

“Nothing like this. I don’t know what’s gotten into her.” Dean rests his head in his palm. “Damn it!” He pounds against the dash. “That girl is so god damned stubborn,” he grits.

“Hey, we’ll find her,” Sam tries to comfort him. He hesitates before he says anything else. “Though we wouldn’t have to find her if you would just tell her the truth.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dean snaps at his younger brother. “I tell her the truth!”

“Yeah, but you don’t tell her everything. You can’t selectively choose what she deserves to know about. She’s a strong girl and she can handle the truth about my time in hell, your time in hell, what Cas did.” Dean glares at him and Sam returns it. “She knows you’re holding back on her.” Dean runs his hand across his face. “I know you’re scared, but I also know that you’ve wanted a family for a long time. So if holding back is what’s preventing you from doing so, why do you keep doing it?

“I’m holding back because...what the hell am I supposed to do with a kid? I can barely take care of myself let alone a teenage girl. Our dad screwed up enough times with us, and his dad before him, hell even Bobby’s dad. You know what if this just turns out to be just another one of those times? Ben was different. Even though I loved him like he was mine I knew he would never be. I was around but I still wasn’t all there, I nearly always had Lisa’s help. If something happens to Hayla it on me.” Sam was starting to get his brothers hesitation. Every Time someone tried to be a father in this family it never ended well. What if it did with Hayla?

Sam and Dean rode the rest of the car ride in silence soaking in the confession. The only other sound coming from the slight buzz of the radio.

.When the brothers reached the cabin the door was cracked open. They drew their guns and carefully walk in. “Hal?” Dean calls into the house.

“Up here,” she calls back down to him. Sam gives him a nod to go check it out and continues to scout the place downstairs. Dean walks up stairs quietly gun pointed. He gets to the top and sees the door slightly cracked open. He points his gun forward and slowly pushes the door open to find Hayla sitting on a bed with a picture frame. “You know, you were right,” she says looking down at the picture. Dean sighs in relief and lowers his gun, tucking it back in the waist of his jeans. “I do have mom’s smile.” Hayla flashed the photo to him of Jane smiling in front of the cabin. She sits the frame back on the side table. She hops off the bed and walks over to bay window overlooking some of the smoky mountains. Dean picks up the frame from the table and looked over Jane’s flawless features. Dean could see himself in his daughter, but to him she would always be just like her mother. He sits the picture back down hesitantly and for a moment seriously considers stealing it.

“Come on. We’re leaving,” He demands.

“And if I say no?” There is was again. Just another example of how Hayla reminds him of Jane everyday. She was so stubborn. She knew exactly how to get a reaction at of him and that’s exactly what she had planned to do.

“Do you realize how dangerous this is?” he asks the back of her head.  Dean’s blood boils and he could feel the anger building up inside him. “Running off like that and putting yourself at risk. It’s pretty god damn stupid. There are things out there that are going to want to kill you because of me and they will not hesitate because you’re a child! I have been worried sick!”

Hayla turns back around to him and he can see anger written on her face as well. “Well then I guess we’re both disappointed in each other then!” Dean was taken back for a moment. What had he done? “You know I knew from the moment you stepped through Bobby’s door that part of you was never going to be ready for any of this. But still I hoped and I prayed and pushed myself upon you with that trip to Oklahoma, and here we are. Three weeks later and now you’re fishing for an excuse to dump me off with some lame ass hunch about me being some supernatural magnet? Why don't you just admit you wanted to get rid of me since the beginning.”

“That’s not what this is,” he defends himself.

“Then what is it?”

Dean pauses for a moment trying to get her to calm down. He carefully says, “Bobby knows this kind of lore better than anyone-”

“Oh, screw that!” She cuts him off. “Don’t try to pull that bull shit with me. What are you afraid of?” she demands from him.

“If you get hurt, it’s going to be my fault!” He confesses. “You’ll be a lot safer with Bobby than you’ll ever be with me.”

“I can take care of myself!”

“We have had two close calls already, Hal! You were in the hospital for God’s sake!”

“But I'm fine!”

“Yeah, and now you’re gonna be even better with Bobby!” they stare at each other in silence for a few moments waiting for the other to say something. Dean then turns and rubs his hand over his face. He is positive Sam can hear all of this from down stairs.

“I’m not them, you know,” she says breaking the silence.

“What?”

“Sam told me about Lisa and Ben. I-”

“Hayla,” he grits through his teeth, “you treading on some very thin ice.”

“I’m sorry. I know that you loved them like family. I know how hard it must have been to walk away like that. But you are not the only one who has lost people here!”

“You can even begin to understand what loss is.”

Hayla looks shocked at his assumption. “Everyone, I have ever cared about had either left me or died!”

“Join the club!” She glares at him and he feels heavy under her gaze.

“You know I pegged you as naive. but didn't think you’d be that stupid,” she spits the words at him as she walks out of the room

“Excuse me?” he shouts after and follows her out of the room.

She stops in front of the balcony overlooking the living room below. She whips back to face him anger clear on him face“You say that everyone has left you? Well I’m still here. And I have been trying like hell to reach out to you only to have you turn away. So don’t try to act like you’re the victim in all of this because you walked out on mom and now you’re trying to do the same to me!”

“I didn’t walk out on Jane. I didn’t have a choice!” he spits back at her.

“Why? Because you were too scared to stand up to your father? Well guess what that cycle ends now, I’m ending it. The only good thing that came out of it was mom escaped this swirling vortex of insanity you try to pass off as family! Cause I have got to tell you, I am sick of it!” She waves her arms at him.

“Then why don’t you just leave? What is it you want from me?”

“Ahhh!” she screams and walks away down the hall.

“Get back here! Tell me what you want!”

She turns to him with tears in her eyes. “My mom!” she screams back before walking into another room and slamming the door behind her. Dean’s face fell with a heavy sigh. He felt awful. He leaned over balcony running his hands over his face. When he looked down into the living room he saw Sammy looking back at him sympathetically. He had obviously heard the whole fight. Dean didn’t give him any sign to assure him he was fine because he was sure his little brother knew he wasn’t. He just turned and walked back into to the bedroom.

* * *

It was easy for Dean to imagine Jane in this house. Sleeping, cooking meals, watching the tv, and dancing just about ever as she so often did. She would dance in the kitchen or in the bedroom. Even if there was no music she would hum softly to herself. She did that often as well. While she was cooking or working on a car. It was these little things that he missed the most about jane because it was these little things that he saw in Hayla everyday. Dean was pretty sure she didn’t even know she did them.

Like when she would slightly bob her head along to a song on the radio or her iPod. She’d hum in the morning when she brushed her teeth or when she sat in the hotel rooms doing school work and just like her mom i never seemed to be any song, just something she would make up.

Dean knew how much he missed Jane. He had loved her. He missed her everyday, but it never had occurred to him that Hayla might be missing her mom as well. It never occurred to him that he wasn’t just a dad. As a single dad he had to make up for both parts of parenthood, and to say the least he had done a piss poor job of it. Hell he was doing a piss poor job of being a parent period.

He thought about all of this as he and Sam had sat quietly in the living room. It had been nearly an hour since Hayla had stormed off after their fight. At first when he had come down stairs and sat on the couch next to Sam his brother had asked if he wanted to talk about it, to which he deadpanned a quiet, “No.” Then he asked if Dean hadn’t wanted him to leave and again he replied with a small, “No.” So they sat in silence with the television off and the only sound heard was their steady breathing and slight ruffling if one of them shifted.

“Dean?” They had heard a small voice say from the stairs. They hadn’t heard Hayla come out of the room so they both jumped a little at her sudden appearance. “Come here, I want to show you something.” She nods up the stairs and walks back up them towards the door she had gone into earlier. Dean gives a look to Sam who gives him an encouraging nod. Dean makes his way up the stairs and across the balcony, Sam’s eyes following him the entire way. When he stepped into the room he was overcome with the sight. Three of the walls were painted in a very light purple except for the wall where the door hung that had wooden paneling like the rest of the house. On the far wall white birds were painted that matched the one hanging from the mobile over the white crib. net to the crib by a window was a while rocking chair with a small bear place neatly on it. Hayla picks up the stuffed animal and hugs it close her chest,  “This was my nursery,” she explains. “Before my mom gave me up we lived here for about a year.” She takes a seat in the rocking chair and looks around as if absorbing it all. “Bizzare. Isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” he breathes out quietly looking around as well.

“You know when I found this place, it was a bit of a miracle. I was homeless and I had been searching for it for days after I had found photo in my file from foster care. Then one night it was raining, not that that’s rare in the smokey mountains but, this storm was different it was wild and being up here didn’t help but like it was calling to me it was just there. The key was under the mat like it had been waiting there for me. And I knew that for at least one night I would be safe from the storm. Finding you was kind of the same thing.” Dean turns his head to her at this. “I didn’t think I’d ever find you, and the timing might have been really bad, but against everything I found you. So yeah we’ve not had it as easy as we would like, and being with comes with some risks. Don’t get me wrong I can hold my own, but now I’ve been exposed to this world that I’m not ready to take on by myself strong or not. So don’t tell me I’d be safer with someone else when the truth is I would just be more terrified than I already am.” Dean gives a sympathetic look. He’s finally starting to understand his daughter. and the more he understands the more he wants to know. He wants to know her like he knows Sam. He knows that kid like the back of his hand, he knows every move he's about to make before he makes it. When he thinks about Hayla all he can remember is a bunch of useless facts that she listed off or tried to cram in his brain.

He doesn’t know his daughter truly. He doesn’t know why she makes half the decisions she makes, like why she decided to become a vegetarian. If it had been Sam he would have stopped him this morning before he had even got a foot out the door.

Hayla looks down into her lap. “Hi, Sam,” she greets. Dean looks to the side to see his younger brother standing in the doorway. Sam gives him a questioning look and Dean assures him he’s okay with a nod. Sam steps through the threshold and starts looking around the room as they sit in the quiet, Dean sighs heavily leans against the wood paneling of the wall behind him. His back thumps against the wood and he notices a hollow sound. He looks back at it curiously giving it a knock to hear the hollow sound again.

“What is it?” Hayla asks watching him.

“There’s something on the other side of this wall.” He pushes one of the planks and it comes loose. “Sam help me with this.” Sam rushes towards his brother and helps him move a couple planks out of the way. Hayla stands to move behind them. once they remove the planks all the can see is black. Sam feels inside the makeshift doorway and fins a switch. Lights flicker on and reveals an entire room full of weapons. .45’s with silver bullets, sawed offs and salt rounds, machetes, iron. They step in the room gawking at the machinery mounted to the wall.

“What is this place?” Hayla asks looking at shelves packed with leather bound books and countless herbs.

“Well if I have to guess,” Sam says holding an expertly packed salt round, “I’d say it a hunters lair.”

“My mom was a hunter?” she says in disbelief.

“No,” Dean snaps. “Janey wasn't a hunter. I knew her better than anyone.”

“Yeah, Dean. That might have been the problem. You know what happens to the people who get close to us. Obviously you didn’t take our problems with us when we left.” They all continue to look through the room. Dean picks one of the sawed off from the wall and inspects the weaponry. Hayla pulls out one of the leather bound books from the shelf and flips through it realizing it was a huge book of spells. Sam is looking at the back wall which was filled with curse boxes except for a small tin box on the top shelf. He pulls it down and pops it open to reveal a bunch of old pictures and papers. He pulls out an envelope and scrunches his eyebrows together. “Hayla?” she looks up from the book biting at her thumb nail as Sam moves towards her. “This is addressed to you.” He holds out the envelope to her. Written across it in perfectly crafted cursive was her name. Hayla snatches the envelop from him and stares at it for a moment. Sam and Dean look upon her waiting.

“What does it say?” Dean encourages her. She takes a deep breath and looks up to give him a half smile before slowly tearing it open. She pulls out three sheets of paper all with the same beautiful handwriting as the envelop.

“To my dearest daughter,” she starts reading the letter. “It’s your first birthday. I wasn’t even one before I was on my own and I realized I never got to know my mother or my father. I never knew if they had lost me, or I was taken from them, if they passed away, or if they had even loved me at all. Now I fear that you might face the same challenge. So I decided to write you this letter to tell you how much I love you, because I do. I love you so much. This past year with you has been the best year of my life. I only wish your father was around to see how much his baby girl is just like him. I wish he was around to love you as much as I do. I wish he was around to save you from this impending mess I’m in like the kind, brave and loyal man that I know he is. The kind of person I know you will grow up to be as well. And on your birthday candle I wished the one thing I know we can never have. I wished he was around so that you could be raised by your parents, in a childhood home, to have the normal life you deserve. To have a normal life is the one wish that is forever out of reach, because as you will learn, you are not normal. You are a Winchester, and with that comes sacrifice that I know you are not ready for. One day when you are older you will understand all about the dangers I have faced just to keep you alive.

Certain events have made me realize if I am to keep you safe we can no longer be together. There are people in this world who wish to use you against me. To use you to get to your father. At times the world may seem like such a dark place, but believe me, there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough. I choose to look at this time apart from you not as a goodbye but as the first steps of a journey. I hope to have you in my arms again soon but if something prevent that from happening I want you to know that you are loved. So I make you this promise, no matter what happens in the days after this letter is written, you will be safe, you will be loved, and you will be fought for everyday that goes by, and in return I need you to promise me something. Remember this and never forget it, no matter what happens in this life hold on to love. Wherever you can get it. Because no matter where you or who you are with, as long as you have love, you have family, and you are home. I love you baby girl, hold on to that forever. Love, your Mom.” Hayla folded the letter back up and brushed away the tears from her eyes. Dean walked beside his sniffling daughter and wrapped an arm around her.

“When I was in the foster system I could never understand why my mom had given me up. I just thought I was a little girl who didn’t matter. Now I grow up to find that is was the complete opposite. My mom didn’t give me up I was forced from her. And it wasn't because she was a hunter or because she met you its because of me,” she sobs. “They wanted wanted to use me against her and against you. Everyone one I come and contact with is in danger because of me. It’s all because of me and its all because I was born into this world a Winchester.” She pushes herself out of Deans grasp and rushes out of the room. Dean doesn’t try to stop her. He looks after her with a sigh and hangs his head in his own disappointment.

Sam sets a heavy hand on his brother's shoulder and give it a squeeze. “She’ll be okay,” he assures him.

“Really Sam?” He snaps. “Because I know you get this on a mental level but she is my daughter. She is cursed, not by magic, by family because the same blood that pumps through our veins pumps through hers and I can’t do a damn thing to fix it or make her feel better! I have no idea how to comfort my own daughter! It is the first thing a parent learns how to do and I don't know how to do it.” Dean runs a hand across his face feeling tears well up in his eyes. He walks further into the lair and looks at the back wall facing away from Sam. “We should take some of this stuff. We’re low on supplies,” he changes the subject.

“Alright,” Sam breaths out quietly. “I’ll make room in the car.” He hears Sam silently leave behind him. Once he’s gone Dean shift his gaze to the small tin box that held Hayla’s letter. He walks over and sifts through it. It’s a bunch of old pictures. There is one of Bobby’s lots way back when. A picture of him with jane from that summer sitting on the hood of Bobby’s car. Bobby isn’t the picture taking type except when there’s something to remember, and Dean genuinely smiling is something he said he had to get a picture of. Another picture was of Jane standing in front of this house with a sold sign on the front porch and a small child in her arms. Dean ran his thumb across the picture.

“I’m sorry Janey,” he whispers to the photo. He drops it back in the box and that’s when he sees another envelop with a capital D scrawled across it. He pulls it out and find that it is in fact addressed to him.

“Car’s ready,” Sam says interrupting him.

“Alright.” Dean slips the letter into his jacket. This doesn’t go unnoticed by Sam but he leaves it alone. “Let’s load up.” They both grab as much will fit in the car and load it in Dean making sure not to leave behind the metal box.

“That should about do it. I think we’re ready to hit the road.” Sam slams the trunk closed and looks to see his brother’s attention is directed towards the small blonde sitting along the railing of the porch and leaning against one of the pillars. The sun was starting to set and they were going to have to leave soon cause no way they were driving down a mountain at night. Sam pats him on the shoulder and says, “I'll give you two a minute.” Then he steps into the house.

Dean walks up onto the porch. Hayla looks out into the sunset overlooking the mountains with her back to Dean. She feels him standing a couple feet away now silently waiting for her to turn around, but she won’t. “What happens now?” he asks and she closes her eyes not wanting to think about it. “Hal,” He says with a little more concern in his voice and this makes tears prick at the corners of her eyes. “Where do you think you’re going?”

She finally looks at him eyes glossed over now. “I might stay here for a while. Or got back to Bobby’s.” His eyes drop to the ground as he nods. “Or maybe New york, Chicago, or freakin Albuquerque. I don’t know. All I know is that I can’t be around this anymore. We are both in danger every second that we are together and there is not a damn thing we can do to stop it. They are going to find a way to-”

“Hold up.” he holds up a hand to make her stop. “Just stop taking.” She is shocked at his blunt statement. “Come here.” He waves her over. She sighs and hops down from the railing following him around to the trunk of the car and he swings the hatch open. He digs through his duffle until he pulls out a small knife and sheath. He hands it to her and watches as she takes it out of the holdster. It was made from pure iron and engraved along the edge in block letters is the name Winchester.

“It was my first knife,” he explains. “My dad gave it to me, and now I’m giving it to you.” Dean silently stares at his daughter as she looks over the knife. “I figure, since ghosts seem to take a special liking to you it might come in handy.” She still won’t look at him and he sighs. “Hayla, despite what you may think, despite the risks and the danger and the letter, despite everything, I would actually like for you to be here.” He says silently. “I know you had a pretty messed up childhood. Hell I can relate. This is a chance to change that. To be with your family. However dysfunctional it may be.” Hayla gives small chuckle. “I don’t know about you, but I would jump at that chance no matter what the risks were.”

She studies the knife. “You, me and Sammy? Traveling the country, killing monsters, saving the world?” She sighs and finally looks at him. “Sounds like a bad tv show.” It’s Deans turn to chuckle.

“You know, when you found me I honestly didn’t know how to feel about it. I didn’t know how I should feel about my long lost daughter showing up on my door step. Or about being a dad, cause I didn’t really had a good one.” Hayla looks silently at the ground. “But,” she looks back into his green eyes to see nothing but sincerity, “if you’ll be patient with me, and give me a second chance, I’d really like to give this whole being a dad thing another try. I may not know what I’m doing but I could write a whole book on what not to do and I figure that’s as good a place as any to start. Truth is I want you here Hal.” He tucks a small strand of hair behind her ear gently.

Hayla sighs and looks back at the knife in her hands, contemplating silently. It still wasn’t too late to run, be rid of all this. Find a quiet place to try and forget everything she had experienced the past seventeen years of her life, especially that last two weeks, and try to have a normal life. She put the knife back into its sheath and for a second Dean was terrified she was going to give it back and tell him to get lost. That’s when she slipped her arms around his waist. It took him a minute to process what was happening. Then he slowly wrapped his arms around her shoulders hugging her back tightly. “Hey,” he said pushing her her away to look in her eyes. “I can’t promise I’ll be father of the year, hell I can't even promise that I’ll be good at all this. But I will always protect you. You have my word.” Hayla nods and Dean pulls her in for another hug.

Sam comes out of the cabin seeing the two in their embrace. Dean sees him crossing the yard and gives Hayla a small kiss of the top of her head before taking a step away. “Everything good here?” Sam asks. Hayla turns towards her uncle and gives him a smile.

“Yeah,” she nods.

Dean closes the trunk and walks around to the driver seat. “Alright no more chick flick moments. Let’s hit the road.” Hayla and Sam both rolled their eyes and Sam gives her a pat on the shoulder before they both hop in car.

“So,” Hayla leans up from the back seat and looks between both of them. “Where to next?”

“Well,” Dean says with a mischievous look in his eyes. “We could all use a little break. I hear Vegas is great this time of year.” They all smile at each other and Dean starts the car and speeds off.

* * *

Once they get down to the bottom of the mountain the find a cheap motel just outside of town and stop for some well needed rest. Dean of course still stays up watching over his little brother and Hayla. Hayla like Dean is sleeping on her stomach, her hair  sprawled across the pillow and from where Dean is sitting he can see the handle of the dagger poking out from beneath her pillow.

He smiles at this as he finishes off his third glass of scotch. He groans as the liquid heats the back of his throat in a pian he’s grown numb to. He sets the glass back on the table next to the envelop that has been sitting there heavily for a couple hours now. He pours himself another glass and downs it quickly and thats all he need to build up the courage to finally tear open that piece of paper. The letter is short and as he reads it he can hear Janes voice perfectly inside his head.

Dean,

I have written and rewritten this letter too many times to count and still I would give anything to tell you this face to face. I have tried to get ahold of you for the past 8 months but finally gave up and decided leaving a letter with Bobby might be the only way to tell you.

We have a daughter, her name is Hayla. She is like you in so many ways. She has a mess of blonde curls and your same piercing green eyes. She smiles and claps when AC DC comes on the radio and likes to play with toy cars rather than dolls.

I understand that we decided to go our separate ways after you left and what should a summer fling mean to you anyway. I‘m afraid that after receiving this letter you might be angry with me for not telling you sooner. I’m even more afraid that after receiving this letter you’ll want nothing to do with her. I planned on not telling you about her at all, but as I held her in my arms that first day at the hospital and everyday since then, those green eyes looking up at me told me that I was wrong. Our daughter deserves to know her father, to be raised by her parents, and to be loved everyday. We both had troubled childhoods but this is a chance to make a better life for this small person we brought into this world together.

It’s never too late to be a family.

Love,

Jane and Hayla

**  
Authors Note: PLEASE READ!!!!!! Yay! I think this chapter has been my favorite to write so far so I hope you liked it. A lot of fighting, crying, and secrets but I felt these characters needed a very emotional moment to lock in a deeper meaning to this family dynamic. So sorry It’s been a while since I’ve uploaded I start college in less than a month so I’ve been preparing for that like crazy. I promise I’ll be better about uploading. BUT!!! to make up for it I’ll give you guys a SPOILER. Next chapter you guys are finally going to meet my new character Ian (Killian). You will get a little taste of what he’s going to be like and I honestly can not wait to start writing for him. I think the Hayla and Ian dynamic is going to be so much fun to write and a bit of a comedic break from the shit storm that comes with season 7. I can’t wait! With that being said I want thank you guys so much for reading and  reviewing. I appreciate it so much keep it up. Thank you!**


	6. Time for a Wedding

Hayla sits alone in their hotel room. It’s not like she couldn’t go out and have fun in vegas if she really wanted to, but the big city bars never appealed to her as much as the ones in quaint little towns. Well, that and Dean still has her fake ID on lockdown, but she has the next best thing. She pulls out a beer from the mini bar and cracks it open. She takes a sip and lets out an ahh of contentment before her phone rings in her back pocket. She pulls it out and sees a text message from Sam:

348 Twain Ave  
Dress Nice!!!

“What?” she mumbles to herself. Just then Dean rushes through the door.  
“Hey,” he greets her quickly before rushing over to their closet and pulling out a suit. “I got a text from Sam,” he explains his rushed movements.  
“You meant this one?” Hayla hold out her phone to Dean.  
“We got the same message?”  
“Apparently. Any idea what he wants?”  
“No clue. I’m assuming it’s a case. Which means you’re staying here.”  
She scoffed. “You know I’m going either way. Why do you insist on making this difficult?” she laughs and Dean rolls his eyes at her. “Look Sam wants me there for whatever reason, so I’m going.”  
Dean sighs. This girl was going to be the death of him. “Fine,” he threw his hands up in the air. “Get dressed.” He turns to walk into the bathroom but does a double take to look back at her. “And, Hayla.” She looks up at him as he takes a few steps towards her with a slight smile on his face. “What happens in Vegas, never stays in Vegas. Drinking age is still twenty one so,” he snatches the beer that was still in her hand, “I’ll be taking this.” He took a sip from the bottle and walks away to the bathroom. “Get dressed!” he yelled before he shuts the door and leaves her there to pout over her stolen drink.

Dean is dressed in one of her federal agent suits and hayla is standing beside him in a lace navy blue dress that she always has for special occasions, but of course she dressed it down with a navy blue beanie and her black combat boots. “Stay close to me,” Dean mumbles to her as they walk down the hallway of the small chapel Sam had sent them to. They are approaching some double doors when a light flickers above them. Hayla holds her locket for comfort as Dean draws his gun. Hayla stands behind Dean and holds her breath as he moves to open the double doors, but before he touches the handle they swing open. Sam stands on the other side making Hayla jump and sigh in relief at the same time. Dean has his gun pointed at Sam who is wearing a suit and a pink boutonniere.  
“Dean. Hayla,” he smiles at the pair. “It's okay. You won't need that,” he lowers Deans gun and grab his brother by the shoulder while taking Haylas wrist. “Come on.” Sam leads them down the aisle and towards the alter.   
“I thought you were out, uh, becoming one with the land or some crap,” Dean says taking in the ridiculous decor.  
Sam lets go of Hayla’s wrist and grabs Dean’s shoulders. “You got to - Come here.” Sam moves Dean into a position on the right side of the altar. Then he turns to Hayla taking her by the shoulders as well. “And you here.” He places her on the left side of the altar. “There. Wait!” he snaps his fingers together as he remembers something and walks over to the piano and picks up a bouquet of pink roses. “For you,” he hands his niece the flowers and she takes them hesitantly. Holding them he gives her a smile and look her over. He gives her a disapproving look when he notices the beanie on the top of her head and snatches it.  
“Hey!” she objects as she smooths out her tousled blonde hair. He sets it on the piano where he got the bouquet and picks up a small boutonniere.   
“And for you,” Sam says turning to his brother and beginning to clip it to the lapel of his suit jacket.  
“What is this?” Dean questions.  
“Uh, apparently, pink is for loyalty,” he gives a small chuckle.  
“Alright, so, what's the pretext? What are we -- uh, wedding crashers, huh? We lookin' for some kind of siren or what?” Dean said trying to understand this situation.  
“No. Nothing like that. All right, um…” Sam backs up the aisle so he can look at both of them. “So, a little sudden. But life is short, so I'll keep this shorter.” Dean and Hayla exchange looks of pure confusion, silently asking each other ‘what the hell is going on?’ to which neither had the answer. “I'm in love,” Sam continues and they both look at him in shock. “And I'm getting married.” They both stare at him and Hayla’s mouth hangs slightly open while Dean’s face remains blank. Sam looks between the both of them as they remain quiet.  
“Say something, like, uh, like, "congratulations," for example,” he urges them.  
“What?” Dean says still in complete shock. Suddenly the Bridal Chorus plays and a woman in a wedding dress and veil enters the room. Sam takes his place at the altar again with a great smile on his face. “What the hell?” Dean mumbles to himself as she makes her way down the aisle. The woman stops in front of Sam and Dean and Sam gently lifts her veil. “Becky?” he says in disbelief  
“Dean,” she smiles at him. “I'm so glad you're here.”

The ceremony goes on, only lasting about five minutes. The whole time Hayla and Dean stand to the side with looks of confusion on their faces and occasionally exchanging looks as if to ask the other ‘is this really happening?’. It was. Sam and this Becky chick were sitting across from each other smiling lovingly as she stroked Sam’s ring. Dean was pacing still trying to make sense of all this while Hayla, who had already replace her beanie on her head, leaned against the piano picking petals off of her bouquet.  
“Shouldn't she ask for my permission or something?” Dean blurts at the couple.  
“Y-you want her to ask for my hand?” Sam jokes.  
“How in the-” he grits through his teeth but cut himself off with a smile. “How did this happen?” he asks more calmly.  
“Short version? We - we - we met. We ate and - and talked and fell in love. And, you know, here we are.”  
“Yeah, I-I guess I'm all caught up,” he laughs humorlessly. Hayla smiles to herself getting a little bit of joy out of how much this was bothering Dean. “That's - okay,” he changes his tone. “You know what? Ignoring everything, have you forgotten the average lifespan of your hookups?”  
“Yeah, but-” Sam gets cut off by his new wife.  
“But if anyone knows that, it's me. I mean, I read every book!” she says excitedly and it catches Hayla’s attention.   
“Book?” she questions.  
Becky looks over at her. “Who is she again?” she asks Sam.  
“Uh, Dean’s long lost daughter, Hayla.”  
“You have a daughter?” she says just about as shocked as Dean and Hayla were upon arriving here. “Congratulations!” she beams. She waves at Hayla with a huge smile on her face. Hayla raises her hand slightly, half waving back and half wonder what kind of wack job Sam just married.  
“We’re just in love, Dean.” Sam says getting them back on topic.   
“Open eyes, you know? Open eyes,” Becky says as they stare at eachother.  
“I'm gonna be sick,” Dean grimaces.  
“Dean, look, it's simple,” Sam tries to reason. “If-something good's happening, I got to jump on it - now, today, period.”  
“Okay, "Dead Poets Society." Fine,” he bites and turns to Becky. “No offense.” He turns back to Sam. “Did you make sure she's even really-”  
“Salt, holy water, everything,” Beck assures him. “See?” She holds out her arm, to reveal a small cut. “Not a monster. Just the right girl for your brother. That's it.” Hayla rolls her eyes at the whole thing. Just then a man walks up and hands a folder to Sam and Becky.   
“The bill,” he explains.  
“I got it,” she says snatching it from Sam’s reach. “You three do your family thing.” She gets up from her seat and they all watch as she walks out to the lobby.  
Once shes out of sight Dean explodes. “Really?!” he says as he flails his arms. “Superfan ninety-nine?!”  
“Dean, look. Honest to God, I had the exact same opinion of her as you do. But when we got past the whole book thing, I found out that she's great and I was the dick.”  
“What book thing?” Hayla questions again. “Am I missing something?”  
“Yeah, Probably. Anyway,” Dean continued brushing her off. “you know, speaking of the whole, uh, book thing... Becky randomly shows up during Vegas week?”  
“Yeah,” Sam exclaims at the ‘coincidence’.  
“Yeah,” Dean implying that it might not be so crazy.  
“Okay, um, what are you trying to say?”  
“I'm saying maybe she knew you were gonna be here. Maybe, uh, uh, uh, Chuck wrote about it.”  
“So, wait,” Hayla interrupts again. “You two have books written about yourselves?”  
“Yeah. Anyway,” Sam say brushing her off this time and Hayla throws her arms up, giving up. “Dean, you're paranoid.”  
“And you're in love?! It's been four days, man!”  
“You know what, Dean? You know what? Um, how about this?” Sam stands from his chair and grabs Becky’s vail. “Becky and I are gonna go up to her place in Delaware. Um, why don't you try and wrap your dome around this, get a little supportive, then give us a call?” He hits Dean on the shoulder and taps Hayla under her chin before walking over to his wife standing a few feet away.  
“First official Tweet as Mrs. Becky Rosen-Winchester!" Shes says typing away on her phone. Sam rest a hand on her shoulder as the walk back out to the lobby leaving Hayla and Dean standing there. Dean looks back at his daughter who gives him a ‘what just happened?’ look.  
“I don’t even know,” he bite and starts walking away. “Let’s go.” Hayla followed close behind him and threw the basically destroyed bouquet over her shoulder. and onto the ground. The walk out to the Volkswagen as Dean taps Bobby’s number in his phone and calls the old man. “Bobby. Hey, I know you're, uh, beard-deep in that Oregon nest,” Dean says to Bobby’s answering machine. “I’m headed to Delaware to do a little snooping around. Sam is there with his wife. That's right. You heard me. His wife. Call me.”

Dean and Hayla had packed up their stuff quickly. Hayla got changed into a grey tank top and some light jeans and kept her navy blue beanie. She stashed the dagger that Dean had given her in her grey boot and pulled on a black leather jacket and they hit the road. They weren’t far behind Sam and Becky, and frankly the pair had started to wonder how Sam hasn’t noticed them yet. When they reached Delaware they followed the couple to a small restaurant with a sign out front reading “Welcome Class Of 2001 10 Year Reunion”. Both Dean and Hayla rolled their eyes as they saw the car with JUST HITCHED written on the back of it drive away.  
They go inside to get something to eat and so that Dean can try and figure out what the hell is wrong with his little brother. They sit down at the bar and Hayla sees Dean pull out a leather bound journal.Dean sits it down on the counter but something catches his eye before he opens it. He slides a newspaper over to him and Hayla can tell what article caught his eye. ‘Truck kills pedestrian in freak accident. Victim a recent lottery winner.’ Dean closes the journal quickly and jumps off of his bar stool. “Come on. Let’s go”  
“But-” Hayla starts but Dean was already heading out the door. “I didn’t even get to eat,” she whines as she stomps out after him.

The pair stand outside Beckys a apartment after a very long very confusing trip to the store for a ‘wedding’ present. Dean reaches forward to ring the doorbell and as Sam opens the door Hayla gives her uncle a great big smile.   
“Me being supportive,” Dean says as he hold a waffle iron tied with a red ribbon. “Congratulations to you and the missus.”   
“Thanks,” He says taking it.  
“It's a waffle iron. Nonstick,” Dean explains as Hayla watches this awkward exchange. “Yeah, you just, uh…” Dean tries to mime closing the waffle iron and turning a dial. “I actually don't know how to use it. Hayla picked it out. Are we good?” he snaps. Sam shrugs and smiles briefly.  
Hayla nods glad that that’s out of the way. “I’m hungry,” she says pushing her way into the apartment and walking to the kitchen.  
Dean steps inside and the pair walk past her into the living room. “ I'm sniffing a case in this town. The score is... Guy wins Powerball, gets squished by a truck. Second guy went from the bench to the Majors. Oh, and one week later, his face was the catcher's mitt, huh?”  
“Our first thought was crossroads demons, but there's that 10-year time frame on collecting souls.” Hayla hears Becky talking from the other room and walks in with a makeshift cheese sandwich.Becky is standing in the bedroom in front of a wall headed “Sam and Becky’s Investigation” with their research. “Then there's cursed object, like in "Bad Day at Black Rock," but we haven't been able to connect the vics yet.”  
“You're working this case... together?”  
“Yeah. I know. Right?” says ecstatic. “I mean, I guess all those Chuck Shurley books paid off.”  
“All right, listen, Cookie,” Dean says in a threatening tone towards Becky, “I don't know what kind of mojo you're working, but, believe me, I will find out.” Becky’s face falls at the assumption.  
“Dean, that's...my wife you're talking to,” Sam says offended.  
“You're not even acting like yourself, Sam!”  
“How am I not?”  
“You married Becky Rosen!”  
“What are you saying? I'm a witch? Or maybe I'm a siren. Ever occur to you we're just -- I don't know -- happy?”  
“Come on, Sam!” Dean exclaims. “Guy wins the lotto, guy hits the bigs. All right, obviously, uh, people's dreams are coming true in this town. Don't you think this is a little bit of a coincidence?”   
“You know what, Dean?” Sam calls after him. “What Becky and I have is real. And if you can't accept that, that's your problem, not ours.”  
“Or maybe she's part of it. Because for whatever reason, you're her dream. If you really do care about her, I'd be worried. Because people who do get their little fantasies or whatever seem to end up dead pretty quick.” Dean walks back over to Hayla.  
“You know, I went after her, Dean.” Sam calls after him. “Maybe that's what's bugging you - that I'm moving on with my life. I mean, you took care of me, and that's great. But I don't need you anymore.”  
Hayla and Becky stand next to each of the brothers awkwardly as they glare at each other before Dean finally grabs his daughter's arm and tugs her out of the apartment.  
Dean walks towards the car while on the phone with Bobby. Hayla tosses the rest of her sandwich into the trash as she follows him. “I don't want another hunter, Bobby. Why can't you do it?” She hears Dean complain as he gets behind the wheel. “Ugh! Fine. What's his name?”

Hayla and Dean check in to a hotel seeing as they probably weren't going to be leaving for a while. At least not until they were sure there wasn't something wrong with Sam. So Bobby called one of his hunter friends who was near by and Hayla and Dean were going to meet him soon. Meanwhile Dean decided to clean up while Hayla sat on the bed reading about her “family history.”  
“Who would have thought?” she says to Dean who was in the bathroom.   
“What?”  
“I’ve spent weeks now trying to get to know you and to think all I had to do was go to a library?” Dean scrunches his face in confusion. He pokes his head out of the bathroom to see her flipping through one of Chuck’s novels titled The Mystery Spot. She flipped it over in her hands examining the cover. “Man you die a lot.”  
Dean marches forward with a sigh and snatches the book from her. He really hates these books. He wants to salt and burn all of them. Hayla smiles at his frustration as he held back from throwing the book out the window and settle for setting it roughly on the dresser.  
“Why do you want to read about that junk?” he asks her.  
“That junk is about you,” she laughs. “It’s about your life. It about hunting. Tell me, where else am I going to get that information?”  
Dean hesitated for a moment before reaching in his jacket and pulling out the leather bound book from the bar. “From this.” He holds it in front of himself. “This is book was our father's single most valuable possession. Everything he knew about every evil thing is in here,” Dean says giving her a similar speech to the one he gave Sam. “He passed it on to Sam and me and I think it’s time I passed it onto you.” He holds the book out to her and she grasps it before Dean pulls it back from her fingertips. “This is for educational purposes only,” he stresses. “So you know what’s out there, what you’re up against, and how to defend yourself if needed. But, so help me God, you will never hunt as long as I am alive...ever.” HIs voice is very steady but what’s written between the lines is what sends a shiver down her spine. “Do you hear me?”  
She nods sheepishly and whispers an almost silent, “Yes, Sir.” Dean nods back and slowly hands the book over again letting her take it this time. She clutches it close to her chest.  
“Alright.” He nods and gives a slight smile. “Let’s go.”

Dean and Hayla walk through the dinner looking for this Garth guy that Bobby had set them up with. Dean thought he had spotted him. A big bald guy wearing plaid and he looked the type, that is until his face lit up at the sight of his lady coming to the table. Dean was slightly embarrassed and was about to walk away when a voice chimed behind them, “Hey. You Dean?” They both turn to find a short, scrawny man sitting in a both and slurping happily on a milkshake. “Hmm,” he hums taking his mouth away from the straw. “I thought you'd be taller.”  
Dean rolled his eyes at the man. Hayla already hated working with outside hunters. She had picked that up pretty quick, but she was positive that this guy was going to get on Dean’s bad side in a hurry. Dean sits down opposite from Garth and Hayla slides in beside him. “I assume Bobby filled you in on the road,” Dean grumbles.  
“He told me two things. One, he's tangling with a major-league nest up in Oregon territory. Numero dos, he said you'd be all, uh, surly and premenstrual working with me. But, hey, man, sticks and stones.” Hayla laughs quietly next to Dean. “And who’s this sugar bear?” Garth asks directing his attention to Hayla.”  
“Hayla,” she introduces herself reaching out to shake Garth’s hand. “Daughter of the surly and premenstrual one,” she jokes.  
“Garth.” He reaches out and takes her had, just holding it instead of actually shaking it. “I like you. You know how to laugh.” He let’s go of her hand. “You got a way with people.” He gives Dean a side and leans into whisper. “Guess we know you didn’t get it from the father’s side.” Hayla tries and fails to hold in her laughter as she sees Dean glaring at the both of them. Garth goes back to innocently sipping at his milkshake as Dean puts a newspaper down on the table.  
“Think I found a case,” He grits through his teeth. “Check the headline.  
“First things first.” Garth snatches the paper from the table and flips through until he finds what he's looking for and laughs. “Oh, Marmaduke, you're crazy!” he exclaims and Dean rolls his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“I just don’t get what his deal is right now,” Sam said through the phone. Dean and Garth had gone out to interview some guy who just made too much of a jump in his career for it to be a coincidence. Bad part being they ran into Sam and Becky there and things went, from what she could tell, not so smoothly.  
“He’s just worried about you Sam. We both are,” She said flipping through John’s journal and snacking on a bag of gummy bears. It contained everything he knew about anything supernatural. Every creature, what it does, how to track and kill it, every weapon or spell you needed in order to do it, and the occasional case article and miscellaneous things. As far as she could tell it was a know all, tell all, encyclopedia of monster hunting. “I mean a few days ago you went off on some camping trip because you didn’t even want to be around your family and now you took the biggest step someone can take when they want to make a family. We just want to make sure you’re okay. So, are you?”  
“I’m fine Hal. Trust me. I love Becky. That’s it.” Hayla sighs she had seen Sam at the wedding and Becky’s apartment. Whatever is happening he wasn’t lying when he would talking about his feelings. SHe would be able to tell. Whatever was happening he truly believed he is in love with Becky and is serious about being married to her. She had just met Sam and no it feels like she was going to lose him. “I’m not going anywhere Hayla,” she hears through the phone as if had read her mind. “I will always be there when you need me. Just like you’ll always be there when I need you.” She smiled to herself.  
“Thanks Sam.” she could sam smile through the phone as well. “Hey as long as I need you, I need you to answer a question for me.”  
“What’s up?”  
“What’s the difference between a werewolf and a skinwalker?” she asked flipping through the journal.  
“How did you know about skin walkers?”  
“Oh, umm. Dean gave me your dad’s journal. I hope that’s okay.”  
Sam hesitates for a moment. “Yeah, no. That’s fine but is that really the best decision?”  
“Don’t worry it’s for ‘educational purposes only’,” she mocks Dean’s voice and sam gives a small laugh. “Dean would die before he would let me hunt,” she says in a more serious tone.  
“That’s not a bad thing, Hayla. To have a dad that cares about you.”  
“No, no. That’s not -” she cuts him off. “I’m glad that he cares so much. He might not have said it but I know he already cares about me like he does for you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. To find my dad and have that. It’s just that what you and Dean do is amazing. It’s crazy,” Sam laughs, “but amazing. You help people. I just wish I could help you guys.”  
Sam is silent for a moment. “You’re helping us right now Hal. By being safe, we’re not worrying about you and we can focus on the case. Try to figure out what the hell is killing all of these people.”  
Hayla sighs with a slight smile at her uncles attempt to make her feel better. “Thanks Sam.”  
“Something about this case just doesn’t add up.”  
“You’ll figure it out. I’m sure of it.”  
“You keep reading that journal. Let us know if you come up with anything.”  
“By ‘us’ you mean you and Dean?” Hayla asks as her failed attempt to end her families bickering.   
Sam chuckles “I mean Becky and me.”  
“Alright,” she says defeatedly and continues to flip through the journal as she bites into another gummy candy. “What about Djinns?” she asks recalling a page she had read earlier. “They grant your wishes and them kill you right?”  
“Well no not really they -” Sam gets cut off as he starts groaning in pain.”  
“Sam?” Hayla exclaims and she can feel her stomach drop. “Sam!” The line goes dead and Hayla immediately jumps up, grabs her jacket, and bolts out the door. 

Dean and Hayla got a hotel just a couple blocks from Becky’s apartment so it didn’t take long for her to show up seeing as she sprinted the entire way. But by the time she got there it had already looked like the newlyweds were long gone.   
“Sam!” she screams as she pounds against the door. “Sam!”  
“Hayla?” a voice says down the hall. She looks over to see Dean running towards her. “What are you doing here?”  
“Dean,” he can hear the panic in her voice and see it in her eyes as she runs her fingers through her hair frantically. “There is something wrong with Sam. One second we were on the phone talking and the next he sounded like he was in pain and the line went dead.”  
“Stand aside.” Dean drew his gun and crouched down in front of the door and skillfully picked the lock. The door slightly peeks open and Dean peeks around the corner before Garth walks through the apartment into the bedroom. Dean rolls his eyes at the ridiculousness. Hayla rushes in behind Garth and runs through the small apartment.  
“Sam?” she calls out but there is no sign of him or Becky. “Where is he?” Hayla asks as Dean flips through Becky’s mail.  
“Garth. Anything?” he calls to the other man.  
Garth is in the bedroom looking through Becky laptop at what seems to be her Twitter account. “Uh, she's got 11 Twitter...ers. Last post -- "Going on romantic trip with hubster!!!" Three exclamation points. I guess she got excited.” Dean looks around her desk and picks up a picture of Becky standing outside a cabin with a fishing rod and a fish. He hold it up to the pair.  
“That look romantic to you?”  
“Oh, hell, no,” Garth exclaims. “But I got this thing about fish. Dead eyes, man.”  
Hayla rolls her eyes as Dean removes the back from the photo frame and takes out the photo. On the back is written: BECKY’S 1ST FISH! LOON LAKE FAMILY CABIN 1994.

They drive up to the cabin in about two hours even with Dean driving with the pedale to the floor. Hayla was about 150% sure it was less about saving Sam and more about getting away from her and Garth. The entire way there Hayla would play nervously with her locket or her bracelet or her hair and, deans least favorite, the iron dagger that he’d given her and had taken a permanent residence in her boot anytime she left the hotel room. On top of the playing with sharp object in the back of the car she incessantly asked every ten minutes “Are we there yet?” which Dean could probably have handled if only it weren’t for Gath in the passenger seat constantly trying to start road trip games.   
About an hour into the drive Dean snapped with a, “Oh my God! Stop talking! Both of you!”   
And they did for about twenty minutes until Hayla broke the silence with another “Are we there yet?” Dean pounded on the steering wheel in frustration and glared at Hayla through the rear veiw mirror as she sank back into her seat.  
Once they got there Dean threw open the door to the bug and got out of the car as fast as he could. “Their car isn’t here.” Dean threw his arm in the air as if the whole drive was for nothing and the couple had gone else where.  
“That does mean Sam’s not,” Hayla said hopping out of the car and running up to the cabin door. It was unlocked and she walked straight in. “Sam?” A muffled shout comes from the other room and Hayla throws open the sliding glass doors to reveal Sam strapped to a bed and a rag shoved in his mouth. “Oh my God! Sam!” She walks over to the other side of the bed and pulls the rag out of his mouth. “What happened?”  
“Becky drugged me,” he explains as Dean and Garth come into the room. “She gave me some potion to make me fall in love with her.”  
“Where is Becky now?”  
“Out with her wiccan best Guy, looking for another vial of elixir to does me with. Get me out of here.” He tugs on the restrains and Dean goes to the bed and start to untie his left hand as Hayla examines him for a moment.  
“Sam, are you wearing pants?” Dean stops untying and gives his brother a questioning look.  
“Hello? Priorities?” he says tugging on the ropes again.  
“Right sorry,” Hayla pulls her dagger out of her bot and cut the rope binding sams right hand. Sam cuts the ropes around his feet and Dean finds his jeans and throws them to him. “Alright, Sam,” she says turning away so her uncle can get dressed. “HOw long til Becky gets back?”  
“Not long,” a small disappointed voice says from the living room. They all turn to see Becky and instinctively step closer to Sam. “Well... this is not how I imagined spending my reunion.” They all continue to glare. “I was gonna show you off,” she says disappointed and sad. “Not that anyone actually knows who you are. "Supernatural" is not exactly popular, but... you're tall... and nice and... they'd all think I was happy.” Nobody says anything. “You're mad. I get it. But… Can we talk?” They all give a slight glance to Sam to see him give the girl a small nod. “YOu were right. Guy’s a crossroads demon, and he’s the one who’s killing all those people. By making deals, like the one he offered me.” They were all shocked by this new piece of information. I know you don't love me,” she starts.  
“Yeah, you got that right,” Sam snaps with malice laced in his voice.  
“I know what I am, okay? I'm a loser. In school, in life. Guess that's why I like you so much.” She smiles.  
“What?” he exclaims offended.  
“I mean, not that you're a loser,” she corrected herself, “but you had that whole character arc about being a freak, and... I can relate.” Hayla and Dean roll their eyes at the sob story. “Honestly... The only place people understood me was the message boards. They were grumpy and overly literal, but at least we shared a common passion. And I'll take it, you know? Then I met you guys -- the real Sam and Dean. And I started dating Chuck, and everything was... amazing. But you left, and Chuck dumped me. I think I intimidated him with my vibrant sexuality. Hayla cringes at this. “I just want someone who loves me for me! Is that too much to ask?”  
“If you want somebody to love you for you, maybe don't drug them.” Hayla snaps crossing her arms over her chest.  
“But I want Sam! And this is the only way!” Becky takes the vial of purple liquid out of her pocket and Dean steps protectively in front of his little brother while Hayla grabs her uncle’s arm to yank him away from Becky. Sam hold out his other arm to her to stop her.  
“Becky,” he tries to reason. “Becky, you're better than this.”  
“That's sweet, but... I'm not so sure.”  
“Becky,” Hayla steps in. “You truly love Sam right?”  
“Of course I do,” she says to Dean’s daughter with sincerity.  
“Then prove it.”  
She takes on a questioning look. “How?” Hayla cast a look to Dean and immediately he knows what she trying to say to him.

Becky is sitting at a table alone with a drink when Guy walks up “Becks! You missed the party.”  
“Yeah. Well... weird night.”   
“So, what are we thinking?” he presses.  
“Okay.” she nods and turns to look at him. “ I'm in.” She gets up from the table and stands in front of Guy.  
“You're making the right choice,” he assures her.  
“I know. So... we seal the deal with a kiss?”  
“Exactly. Pucker up, sweetheart.” Guy puckers his lips and takes a step toward her before Becky strikes a cigarette lighter and drops it to the ground. Flames shoot around a devil’s trap with Guy in the middle.   
“I'm not your sweetheart!” she spits. Sam, Dean, Hayla, and Garth appear from the next room. Garth holds up a bottle.  
“Blueberry vodka. The answer to all of life's problems.” he shakes the bottle.  
“You see that, Sam?” she exclaims as she walks over to the group. “I did it just like we said! I am awesome! I -” she sees Sam glaring down at her and Hayla grabs her arm to take her away from the. “I'll be over here,” she whispers quietly and she’s pulled away.  
“Dean Winchester. This is really thrilling. Hey, can I have your autograph?” Guy jokes. Dean slowly takes out his demon ganking knife.  
“Sure. Yeah, I'll, uh, carve it into your spleen.” He smiles. “So, how you running your little scam?”  
“Well, how do you mean, Dean?”  
“Signing 10-year deals, snuffing 'em that week,” Sam snaps.  
“Well, I would never. No. Rules of the road -- can't lay a hair on any of my clients.”  
“Right. So how you cheating it?”  
“I'm not a cheater. I'm an innovator. It's called a loophole, you moron. Yes, when a person bargains away his soul, he gets a decade, technically. But accidents happen.”  
“So you're arranging "accidents" and collecting early?”  
“Oh, please. White gloves. I don't get my hands dirty. That's why it's important to have a capable intern.” A blonde man appears behind Guy with an arm raised and Dean Sam and Garth go flying backwards and crash into tables and walls. Dean’s knife ends up on the floor some distance from him.  
“What time did I ask you to be here? What time did I ask you to be here?!” He snaps at his intern. The man breaks the devil’s trap with his foot. Guy saunter up to Dean who gets to his feet and throws holy water at Guy and he recoils. Hayla rushes forward for the demon knife as Dean rattles off an exorcism. “Exorcizamus te, omnis -” then he’s cut off as Guy ses Hayla rushing forward and yanks her up so that he’s holding her against him with his hand tightly around her neck.  
Sam wakes to find Guy’s intern advancing on him. “Becky...run!” he shouts and the girl takes off. Garth gets to his knees, but the demon sends him sprawling back to the ground with a downwards movement of his arm. then he makes a twisting movement with his hand and Sam starts to choke. Then a knife protrudes through the man’s chest. he falls to the grounds as Becky has stabbed him from behind.  
“Whoa,” she chirps happily.  
They all direct their attention over to Guy hearing a small whimper from Hayla as he tightens his grip on her neck. “I will break her neck,” he assures.”  
“Let me make this perfectly clear,” Dean growls, “If you harm her this will be your last day on earth.” Him and Guy continue to glare at each other but for a moment Deans eyes flick down to Hayla’s feet and then to her eyes before back to Guy’s glare. It was so quick she almost missed it but when she saw it she knew what he was saying. Hayla gently lifted her foot just high enough for her fingers to brush against the handle of her dagger and slipped it from her boot. She looked back at Dean for a signal and when he nodded just slightly she shoved the dagger behind her right into Guy’s thigh. She was sure it didn’t hurt him much but it stunned him just enough.  
“You bitch!” he shouted and before she knew it she flew across the room and hit her head against the bar counter making everything go black. Guy reaches down and pulls the dagger out of his leg and throws it to the ground. Then he furiously starts advancing toward Dean, but before he can get to him Sam pulls the knife out of Guy’s intern’s back and tosses it to Dean, who holds it against Guy’s throat.  
“How many deals you got cooking in this town, Madoff?” he demands.  
“Fifteen,” he hisses but his anger doesn’t even compare to the rage Dean feels about his daughter lying unconscious on the floor a few feet away.  
“Yeah, well, call them off, or I'll cut my own loophole in your throat,” he growls.  
“Oh, crap,” Guy whimpers.  
“Yeah, you said it. You're in a world-”  
“Hello, boys,” a scottish accent says behind them. Dean peeks over his shoulder to see Crowley standing there.  
“Oh, crap,” he mutters and moves around Guy to hold the knife against his throat from behind.  
“Sam,” he directed his attention to the younger brother who was now cradling his niece in his arms. “mazel tov. Who's the lucky lady?”  
Beckys eye’s widen and she exclaims, “You're Crowley!”  
“And you're-,” he starts but cuts off taking in her appearance, “well, I'm sure you have a wonderful personality, dear.” He face falls in disappointment.  
Crowley directs his attention back to Dean and Guy starting to walk towards them. “Ah,” Dean stops him. “Another step, and I'll Colombian necktie your little friend here.”  
“Please, don't let him get off that easy,” Crowley says nonchalantly and Dean’s face twists in confusion.  
“Sir, I don't think that you-” GUy tries to reason.  
“I know exactly what you've been doing. A little birdie named Jackson sold you out,” Guy look towards his dean intern, “e-mailed all the juicy deets to my suggestion box.” Crowley looks down at Jackson. “I assume... That's my whistle-blower? Shame. Had a future. Unfortunately, you don't.”  
“I was just-”  
“There's only one rule -- make a deal, keep it.” he spits.  
“Well, technically, I didn't-”  
“There's a reason we don't call our chits in early -- consumer confidence. This isn't Wall Street! This is Hell! We have a little something called integrity. This gets out, who'll deal with us? Nobody! Then where are we?”  
“I don't know.”  
“That's right. You don't. Because you're a stupid, shortsighted little prat. Now, hand the jackass over. I'll cancel every deal he's made,” he tells Dean  
“What are you gonna do with him?” Dean asks.  
“Make an example of him. Fair trade, right? We all go our separate ways. No harm done.”  
“What, out of the goodness of your heart?” Sam questions.  
Crowley sighs heavily “Years of demons nipping at your heels, haven't seen one for months. Wonder why?”  
“We've been a little busy,” Dean explaines.  
“Hunting Leviathan,” Crowley states. “Yes, I know. That's why I told my lads to stay clear of you meatheads.  
“So, what do you know about-” Sam starts.  
“Too much. You met that dick yet? Smuggest tub of goo since Mussolini. I hate the bastards. Squash em’ all. Please. I’ll stay clear.”  
Dean and Sam exchange looks. “Rip up the contracts first,” Dean demands. Crowley snaps his fingers.  
“Done and done. You’re turn.”  
“Yeah not quite.” He smirks.  
“You want something. Why am I not surprised.”  
“Your little minion here tried to kill Hayla.” He presses the blade closer to Guy’s neck.  
“Ahh yes,” Crowley turns and walks over to Sam who was cradling Hayla in his arms.  
“Baby Winchester.” He brushes hair out of her face to get a better look.   
“Don’t touch her,” Dean growled threatening to slit Guy’s neck. “You might have called off your demons but this son of a bitch is only the first in a long line of things that will try to harm her. If you want us out there killing Leviathan I’m gonna need some reassurance that she’s gonna be safe. Not just from demons but from anything that would wish to hurt her.”  
Crowley looks back to him. “Believe it or not, protecting the little brat is in both of our interests.” Dean gave him a questioning look. “From what I heard shes got a lot of spunk.” He laughs. “Like father like daughter. She has potential. I want her alive just as much as you do. Let’s see exactly what Winchester Barbie is capable of.” He looked back down at the unconscious girl examining her. “I’ll send one of my best men, kind of my right hand if I had ever needed one. He’ll look after the girl as long as you hold up your end of the deal.” Dean nods sceptically. “Now hand over the worm.” Dean ignores Guy’s pleas and pushes him towards Crowley. “Pleasure gentleman.” He and Guy were gone in a blink.  
Coming out of unconsciousness Garth gets up from the floor in a haze. “What’d I miss.” Dean rolls his eyes and walks over to Sam.   
“I’ll take her.” Dean reaches out his arms and Sam lays the sleeping girl in his arms. She stirs slightly and buries her face in his jacket as he carries her out of the bar. Sam drove as he sat in the back for the first time in what seemed forever, the girl laying over his chest.

Back at Becky’s apartment Sam is signing an annulment. He slides it across the table to Becky. “It... it wasn't all bad, right?” she ask him and he glares at her unsmiling.  
“Okay, y-you did save my life, and for that, thanks,” he says giving her a consolation and she smiles  
“So, I'll see you again?” she asks hopeful.  
“Yeah, probably not,” he deadpans. Becky’s face falls and she grabs the pen to sign the annulment as Dean and Garth look on. “Becky, look. You're not a loser, okay? You're a good person, a-and you've got... a lot of... e-energy. So, you know, just do your thing, whatever that is, and the right guy will find you.” This perks Garth is looking hopefully at Becky as he straightens his hair and clothes. He looks to Dean and he shakes his head.  
“No. No!” he stresses.

Dean walks out to the car where Hayla was sitting in the driver seat resting. Dean kneels down to her eye level. “How you feelin?”  
“Better. My head hurts,” she says touching her forehead and wincing. “And I’m pretty sure he left a bruise.” She rubs her neck where Guy had grabbed her. Dean lifts her chin with one finger and examines her.  
“I think you’ll survive.”  
Hayla sighs heavily. “I still can’t believe you you bargained with this Crowley guy to get me a babysitter. I can handle myself.”  
“Well I’m sure you could, when you were out there taking care of yourself. But you’re playing in a whole new ball park now. There are things out there that want to hurt you, that want to kill you, and use you against me. So just work with me. Let me take care of you now. I promised to keep you safe. You might not need a babysitter but I would feel a lot better if I knew someone was looking out for you while I deal with the monsters and leviathan.” Hayla rolls her eyes. “hey,” Dean brushes her hair out of her face. “I gave you my word. this is me trying to stand by it.” Hayla didn’t like the idea of someone standing over her at all hours of the day but it seemed important to Dean so she just nodded. He gives her a small smile and turns as they see Garth and Sam coming out of Becky’s.  
Hayla hops out of the car and walks up to the hood of the bug to join them in saying goodbye.  
“Well man I gotta say, you don’t suck.” Dean gives him a pat on the arm and Garth gives a chuckle.  
“Thank you. Thats the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me,” he says sincerely and they all give him a smile. “Well,” he cuts himself off and throws himself into Dean’s arms.  
“Woah.” It caught Dean by surprise and Hayla and Sam contain their laughter as Garth held onto him. “Okay,” Dean says starting to get uncomfortable but Garth continues to hug him. Dean gives him a pat on the back and finally he pulls away.  
Garth looks over at Hayla and she smiles at him. “Sugar bear.” He scoops her up in his arms lifting her from the ground and gives her a hug before setting her down on her feet. Hayla smiles at the man. She had actually grown to like him. She leans up and pecks his stubbled cheek and his eyes take on a spark of surprise.   
“Goodbye Garth.” He nods and give Sam a small wave.   
“Take care,” Dean wishes him farewell. Garth turns away toward his car. “Wow,” Dean says exasperated.   
“Aww you made a fwend,” Sam teases.  
“No,” Dean deadpans.  
“He was nice,” Hayla defends the quirky guy as he drives away. “He’s like the dorky older brother I never wanted.” Sam and Dean both laugh.  
Hayla pulls herself on the hood and sits between the brothers, leaning against the cas. “Look, man, uh... When I was all dosed up, I-I said some crap,” Sam says timidly.  
“Oh, you mean, she -- she wasn't your soulmate?” Dean jokes back.  
Hayla laughs from between them. “Shut up,” Sam snaps back. “I mean, I do need you watching my back. Obviously.”  
“Yeah, when, uh, crazy groupies attack.”  
“You know what I mean.”  
“You know, I got to say, man... For a whack-job, you really pulled it together.”  
“That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me. Look, don't be too impressed, man. It's still a Denver scramble up here. I just know my way around the plate now.”  
“I'm just saying. It's stupid to think that you need me around all the time. You're a grown-up.”  
“Right.”  
“You're a hike-in-the-desert, hippie-douche grown-up.”  
“Dude, I was camping. You camp.”  
“Yeah, whatever. Hippie.” Hayla laughs and put both of her arms around the two men in her life and gives them both a peck on the cheek. they give her a smile and she leans he r head on Dean’s shoulder with a content sigh.   
“Are we ever going to have a boring family road trip?” she asks and the boys break out into laughter.   
“Not in this lifetime, princess,” Dean says resting his chin on her head and she joins in in laughing with them.  
“You know what, though? Seriously? Things might be nicer now,” Sams says as though he’s merely speaking out loud.  
Both Dean and Hayla look towards him. “What?” Dean asks.  
“I mean you’ve been looking out for me your entire life. Now there’s someone else who needs you looking out for them.” Sam motions towards Hayla and she turns towards her father to beam up at him.  
“Yeah,” Dean pulls her in and kisses the top of her head. “I guess you’re right.” Hayla jumps down from the hood and wraps an arm around his waist as Dean slings his arm over her shoulders. Sharing one last family smile they all turn to get in the car but are stopped by a tall figure. Hayla gives a gasp as Dean pushes her behind him and Sam draws his gun to point it at the stranger.   
“Woah relax. We’re all friends here,” the blue eyed, stranger holds up his hands as if surrendering. He had a cockiness about him that made Dean automatically hate his guts. He grips the demon knife tighter in his hand.  
“Who are you?” Dean grits out between his teeth.  
The man rolls his eyes and lowers his hands. “Killian,” he saya annoyed that he was still being silently threatened, by the brothers.  
“What do you want?”  
“To do my job.” Sam and Dean exchange looks and Killian casts a glance to Hayla. “I’m the person who’s been assigned to protect the walking meatsuite. No offence, sweetheart.” He blinks and flashes his black eyes at her with a sickening smile. Hayla grits her teeth glaring at him. This was the worst idea in the history of ideas.


	7. How To Win Friends and Influence Monsters

“Alright wait till you hear the click,” Dean coached as Hayla picked the lock to their latest temporary home. The slight click sounded. “Now turn.” Hayla turned the lock pick and the door swung open. “Aha! That’s my girl.” Dean ruffled her hair then grabbed their bags and stepped inside the abandoned house.   
Hayla gave a look to Bobby who patted her shoulder as she gave a sigh. “Most dads teach their daughters to change a flat or use a hammer. No. Mine teaches me to pick the lock of the condemned house we’re living in.” Her and Bobby gave a slight chuckle before he ushered her into the house. They carried in the supplies into what used to be a dining room, where Sam and Dean were already making their temporary preparations. Hayla was setting up the boys work station having seen it done a couple times now and Dean is shining a light at a fuse box when Sam comes thumping down the stairs.  
“Did you strip enough wire?” he asks his brother.  
“Yes, I stripped enough wire,” Dean replies rolling his eyes.  
“All right.” Sam takes the two cables and attaches one to the stripped wire. He takes the other one and taps it against the other. Electricity crackles for a moment and then the lights flicker on.  
“See? Told you.” Sam rolls his eyes as Bobby comes inside.  
“Well, isn't this cozy?” Dean grumbles.  
“Yeah. Well,” Sam says taking a seat at the table, “Motel 6 just ain't leaving the light on anymore.”  
“Well, I'm taking a page out of Frank Devereaux's Bible on this. Everybody's out to get you paranoia is just plain common sense,” Bobby rationalizes.  
“Weeks, guys. Weeks,” Dean spits and Hayla groans for having to hear the same speech her father has been giving for the last month. “We've been living with cold showers, cold Hot Pockets, cold freaking everything. I mean, this is the bottom that we're living in. You guys get that, right?”  
“How many big mouths are out there, running card traces, like Chet, or hunting us down God knows what ways?” Bobby asks bring it back to a practical standpoint. “No, now's not the time to be laying our bed rolls out on the grid. Not if we can help it.” The lights go off and Dean’s head falls and Hayla sighs exasperated.   
“That's just great.” Sam turns on a battery-powered lamp. “This is stupid,” Dean pouts. “Our quality of life is crap.” He grabs their cooler and sits it next to the molding couch he’s setting his bed up on. “We got Purgatory's least wanted everywhere, and we're on our third "The World's Screwed" issue in, what, three years? We've steered the bus away from the cliff twice already.” He sits down on the couch and stares at his brother.  
“Someone's got to do it,” Sam argues.  
“What if the bus wants to go over the cliff?”  
“You think the world wants to end?”  
“I think that if we didn't take its belt and all its pins away each year that, yeah, the whole enchilada would have offed itself already.”  
“Stop trying to wrestle with the big picture, son. You're gonna hurt your head,” Bobby teases and Dean rolls his eyes and grabs a beer out of the cooler. “So what’s the guff?”   
As Bobby and Sam start looking over the case Hayla grabs her duffle and storms up the stairs flashlight in hand. Dean looks up after her and seeing Bobby and his brother wrapped up in the case he silently slips away to follow her. When Hayla finds a room with a bed that isn’t too tore up she removes her lighter from her back pocket and lights the candle on the bed side table. She plops down on the bed, her legs hanging off the side as she stares up at the paint chipped ceiling. She hears the faint echo of boots on the wood floor but she doesn't bother to look at who it is. She already knows.  
“You know I thought that when I finally met my dad I was going to get the chance at the normal life that I always wanted.” Dean stops a few feet away as she talks. She sits up on the bed and looks at him. “I thought I was finally going to have a home and a family. But instead I get this.” She waves her arms. “A beaten down house with no electricity that’s even worse than the places I slept in while I was by myself and homeless. But hey, now at least I’m with family and I’m homeless.”  
Dean rolls his eyes. “Okay no daughter of mine is going to sit around feeling sorry for herself,” he said interrupting her pity party. “Okay, first thing you need to know about a hunters life is that we’re never homeless,” Hayla gives him an incriminating look. “...per say.” she shakes her head at her dads failed attempt at making her feel better. He sat down on the bed with her. “I’ve spent a lot of time with hunters. People in our situation, and I’ve noticed that all of them,” he corrects himself, “all of us, have something in common. We hold onto things. Things that we’ve had our entire lives. It’s our own little corner of the world and with it were never really homeless.” Hayla gave a small smile to her dad. “Me and Sammy, that Impala that’s sitting in storage right now that’s our home. So yeah we might be homeless right now. But you don’t have to be. That locket around your neck is a part of who you are. Something that has been with you through everything. That will be with you no matter where you go.You’re very own corner of the world.” Hayla smiles down at her locket and Dean leans over to kiss the top of her head. “Alright I got to get back to work,” he says and she gives him a nod as permission to leave. He goes down to go join Bobby and Sam and Hayla digs through her bag to pull out her grandfathers leather journal and opens where she left off.  
“Aww so sweet,” someone says from the window. She peeks over and sees the same annoying smirk that has been harassing her and the guys for weeks now.  
“Do you ever go away?” she bites.  
“You think I want to be here?” he snides and jumps down from windowsill. “No. But, Crowley ordered me to keep an eye on you. So as long as I’m here, you lot are my only source of entertainment.” Hayla rolled her eyes and looked down at the journal again. “Although I got to say these past few weeks have been nothing but blow-my-brains-out repetition. You and your father fighting about him not sharing enough or how you want to hunt, or how you don’t need me around, which I couldn’t agree with you more on that. But, then you go on with the whining and the ‘It’s not fair!’” he whines in a mock girl voice. “Then you run to Sam and he comforts you about how Dean will come around even though he never actually does. Then you got the geezer, you guys brought in to help keep an eye on me, telling Deany to ‘Step up’ and ‘Take responsibility’. Add a few yells of ‘Balls!’ and “Idjit!” in there. Then you and Dean hug and make up, you and the Scoobydoo gang solve the case, then you all hop in the Mystery Machine and move on to the next town. Then happens all over again, I mean kill me now!” He holds his fingers to his head in fake gun style then pulls the imaginary trigger and falls on the bed at Hayla’s feet. When he looks up at her he can see that her nose is still buried in the old leather journal in her hands. Killian sits up and stares at her from the end of the bed through concentrated eyes. “I can’t tell if you’re just really focused or ignoring me?”  
“Why can’t it be both?” She flips another page not looking up at him.  
He gasps and places a hand over his heart, fending hurt. “You know some men might find your attitude just a tad bit rude, but,” he appears closer than before, coming with in inches of her face, “I just love a challenge.” She turns her face slightly, her nose almost grazing his and glares at him. Then with a smirk and a blink of an eye he’s gone again.

The next morning the gang goes out to start this investigation of what people are speculating to be the Jersey Devil. Sam and Dean are putting on the FBI suit and tie dance with the local Forest Ranger and Hayla is sitting not that far away listening in.  
“So, Ranger Evans,” she hears Dean’s voice from the other side of the booth.  
“Oh, uh, you can call me Rick. Ranger Rick,” the Ranger corrects him and Hayla just rolls her eyes.  
“Uh, you were the one who found Mitchell Rayburn, correct?”  
“The human burrito.”  
“State police have it down as a bear attack,” Sam bring Captain Cloud 9 back to the conversation.  
The Ranger laughs. “Yeah, I read what the state police says. That was no rogue brown.”  
“Apparently, some others reported seeing something a little, you know, weirder,” Dean says getting down the grit.  
“You know, I've been a ranger for 12 years. Tell you the truth, we have no idea what's out there. Big. Lot of trees.”  
“Is this guy for real?” A figure pops on the the other side of booth and Hayla jumps. This only makes Killian smirk.  
“Shut up I'm trying to hear,” she scolds him.  
“Tell you this, though,” the ranger continues. “You got to respect Mother Nature. You respect her, or she's gonna string you up, and she'll eat your ass right through the Gore-Tex.”  
“So you're thinking it's Mother Nature?” Dean asks in disbelief.  
“See, me and Phil, we've been finding, uh, something's leftovers for weeks -- deer remains, badger, missing pets.”  
“Who's Phil?” Sam interjects.  
“Assistant Chief Ranger. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Phil in a couple of days. He's supposed to call from whatever station he's checking off.”  
“You think maybe your assistant chief ranger might be missing?”  
“I should probably report that.” Killian chuckles from across the booth at the Ranger and Hayla shoots him a glare.  
“Oh. Excuse us.” Sam says and Hayla looks back to see Bobby walk through the door. She looks back over to an empty seat where Killian has disappeared. “Well, you, uh... enjoy your lunch... Ranger Rick,” Dean smirks as he puts his card on the table and leaves the Ranger. Hayla stands up with him and walks with him over to Sam and Bobby.  
“So no jersey devil?” she asks him.  
Dean shakes his head and gives her a disapproving look. “Hey, I don’t want you listening to that crap.”  
“But I want to help.”  
“You are helping. You’re our identifier.” Hayla gives him a crap look and he sighs stopping to face her. “Hayla the more able you are to identify what is out there the easier it will be to defend yourself if need be. So do your homework.” They make the rest of the way to the door to join the two men. “So?” Dean inquires.  
“Well, I took a look at the cadaver -- what's left of it. Not a happy camper. Don't have any stats on a Jersey Devil, but the bite radius on the vic's wounds - it's too small for a Leviathan.”  
“Hayla? Anything?” Sam asks leading her into the conversation.  
“Well from what I can see of the coroner's report he's still got a heart, so I doubt we're talking werewolf. And a wendigo doesn’t leave any scraps.”  
Dean nods impressed at her deduction and she gives a small smile. “Hmm. Lunch?”  
“Starving.”  
Dean hails a passing waiter. “Hey! Uh, Brandon. We grab a booth?”  
“Hey, uh, douchewad,” the waiter shoots back and they all recoil. “A hostess will seat you. Do I look like a freaking hostess?”  
Dean puffs out his chest. “Do you want to look like a hostess?” he says as a flustered comeback. But it works seeing as Brandon walks away.  
“That didn't really make sense, what you... said,” Sam says and him and Hayla chuckle.  
“What was that?” Dean asks appalled.  
“I sure hope we don't get Brandon's section.”

Of course they get Brandon’s section. He’s rude and crude, he rolls his eyes after they get done ordering and when he comes back with their food its not much better. He throws a plate down in front of Sam, “Sidewinder soup and salad combo goes to Big Bird.” He puts another plate in front of Dean, “TDK slammer to Ken Doll.” One down in front of Hayla, “A grilled cheese with tomato for powerpuff. And in front of Bobby, “And a little heart-smart for creepy uncle.”  
“What is your problem?” Dean snaps.  
“You are my problem!” Brandon Snaps back pointing a hard finger then walks away in a huff.  
“Oh, Brandon's got his flare all up in a bunch,” Bobby gruffs.  
“Yeah. There goes his 18%,” Sam jokes and Hayla smiles at him over her sandwich.  
“Anyway, chief ranger,” Dean mocks, “I don't think he believes in the Jersey Devil.  
“Oh, oh, by the way, did he seem a little, uh, stoned to you?”  
“Ranger Rick? Yeah. Definitely growing his own on the back 40 and smoking all the profits.”  
Hayla swallows the bite she was chewing and speaks up. “He did seem to think that there was something -”   
“Oh, that is good sandwich,” she’s cut off by Dean talking around a mouthful of food.  
“What the hell did you get?” Bobby asks. Dean turns a card on the table around towards him that's advertising the special.  
“New Pepperjack Turducken Slammer. Limited time only.” He smiles and Hayla crinkles her nose moving her chair a little.  
“Bunch of birds shoved up inside each other,” Bobby says with her same disgust. “Shouldn't play God like that.”  
“Hey, don't look at me sideways from that, that Chinese chicken geezer salad there, okay?” Bobby looks offended. “This is awesome. Like the perfect storm of your top-three edible birds.”  
“All right, anyways, um…” Sam says trying to pull Dean away from his love affair. “The ranger did seem to think there was something out in Wharton Forest.”  
“Well, then I'd say it's safari time.” Hayla wasn’t even going to bother asking if she could go, she knew that it would only lead to an argument between her and Dean about ‘her hunting over his cold dead body’. But she wouldn’t have even got to with yelling at the other side of the restaurant.  
“She’s big-boned!” A man yells and the four turn their attention to the fight.  
“Look at her! You're telling me she's not fat?” Brandon yelled back at him. The waiter tries to get him to calm down but he brushes them off. “Up yours, Mike. Shove it right up yours!” Brandon takes off his apron and leaves the restaurant.   
Dean shrugs. “Well, anyway, back to bigger and better things.” He continues eating his sandwich.

Back at the house they were all getting ready to go to bed. “ Alright so Killian is watching over Hayla,” Dean says with slight disgust. Hayla was sitting in the chair at the far end of the room while the boys passed around weapons.   
“Don’t worry chief,” Killian says appearing behind her and putting his hands on her shoulders. “She’s in good hands.” Hayla shrugs his hands off and Dean roll his eyes.  
“I’ll take the first watch for Leviathan, then Sam, then Bobby,” Dean assigned rolls. He turns towards Killian and throws him a gun. “Here.” Killian catches. “The bullets are soaked in borax. It should stun them a bit but not not for long.” Killian salutes Dean and gives him a nod before walking towards the stairs and stopping at the doorway to examine the gun. Sam takes his place next to Hayla who is pouting with her arms crossed. She hated everything about being watched constantly.  
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay with him?”Sam asks her.  
“No, I’m going to murder him.”  
Sam laughs. “Come on it can’t be that bad.” She shakes her head. “Well, maybe he grows on you?” he says desperately grasping for a silver lining.  
“Yeah, so does ringworm.” Killian chuckles from the other room and Hayla glares at the back of his head.   
Sam turns to her and leans into whisper quietly. “Can he hear us?”  
“No,” Killian says smirking at them. “That would just be creepy.”   
“Will you shut up?” Hayla scolded him. He cocks his gun with a wink and walks away. Hayla grits her teeth and gives Sam and annoyed close mouthed smile.  
“He seems like a real charmer,” Sam said sarcastically.  
“Yeah well don’t let him fool you,” Hayla bit back. “He’s first-rate jackass.” Sam laughs. “Alright I’m off to bed.” She leans over and gives Sam a quick hug and then Bobby. When she got to Dean she leaned up and gives him a quick peck on the cheek. She said goodnight to the guys and they all wave her off to bed. Killian comes out of the other room and goes to follow but Dean grabs him by the shoulder. Killian looks at him annoyed.  
“Look I know you get your kicks from getting on everyone’s last nerve and you’re doing an A plus job,” Killian smirks, “but the only reason i'm putting up with it is because you’re here to protect my daughter.” Dean was aware that Killian could fling him across the room at any second but he wasn’t intimidated. It might have something to do with whatever meat suit he had chosen as his host. The kid couldn’t have been older than twenty four making him much younger than Dean, living wise anyway, and a few confidence boosting inches shorter. “The minute that ceases to be the situation I will not hesitate to shove this knife right through you.” He says flashing the demon killing knife. “So if I were you I’d take my advice, make Hayla your number one priority. Nothing comes before her. Are we clear?”  
Killian sighs. “As crystal.”  
“Good.” Dean lets go of his shoulder and shoved the knife back into his jacket. Killian starts to make his way up the stairs to Hayla’s room but Dean calls after him again, “Oh!” Killian turns around. “ And if you really want to make yourself useful, teach her to protect herself.” He nods and makes his way back up the stairs. 

“Why are we doing this?” She asks as Killian marches her into the yard.   
“Because Deany Dearest thinks it would be a good idea for you to learn how to hold your own against all things that go bump in the night,” he jokes.  
“So you’re training me?”  
“Precisely.”  
Hayla mauls this over and nods. “Okay. Where do we start?”  
“Same place all hunters start. Basic hand to hand combat.”  
She chuckles. “You mean I get to hit you! This should be good!”  
He rolls his eyes and waves her over. “Just get over here.” She walks over and he grabs her right hand and puts it on his right shoulder. her face grimaces at the thought of even having to touch him. “Put your hand right there. That’s a good girl.” he laughs at her and pats her hand.  
She rolls her eyes. “Just get on with it.”  
“Fine.” He grabs her arm with his left hand, spins around, and pushes her so she’s face first in the dirt. She rolls over with a groan and he towers over her. “Well you’re gonna have to try harder than that.” She gives him a glare and pushes herself back to her feet. “Alright again.” he waves her over she put her hand on his shoulder and it’s not long before she’s in the dirt once more.

Hayla’s taking jabs at Killian and most of them he’s blocking without even trying but she found that she could distract him with her easily guarded jabs and surprise him another quickly and clip him a bit. She takes another jab at him and he grabs her arm. She goes to take another jab but he spins her around quickly almost dance like and she is trapped with her back against his chest. One arm is trapping both of her’s close to her chest and the other is tightly around her waist.  
“You’re dead,” he whispered teasingly into her ear. She freezes at the warm breath against her face and the smoothness of his voice. He nuzzles his nose in her hair and she swears he’s...smelling her? His hand gently glides across the thin strip of skin revealed by her rising tank top and his fingers grip slightly around her hipbone. The tip of his nose slowly traces down behind her ear and to her jawline. Then he slowly leans his face into her neck and she can feel his breath against her skin before he open his mouth wide and bites. He groans playfully like he’s trying to eat her and she squirms against him and pushes him away. She turns back around and shoots him a glare as he laughs hysterically.  
“Oh lighten up,” He jokes and she rolls her eyes.  
“You’re a child.” He chuckles a bit more.  
“I got to say you are getting better. You’re a fast learner. Then again I am a great teacher.” She scoffs and he eyes her smirking and takes a few steps closer. “Maybe I can teach you a few other things?” It’s her turn to laugh humorlessly this time as she pushes him away.   
“In your dreams.”  
“Suit yourself.” He shrugs and steps back into his fighting stance. “Come on Buffy. Let’s go again.”  
She grabs her water bottle and sits down on the front steps. “We’ve been at this for hours. I’m human. I need to rest. I just need to get my strength back.”  
He relaxes his fighting stance and sighs, “Fine.”  
“Such a gentleman,” she says sarcastically and takes a drink. Just then Sam, Dean, and Bobby pull back up in the truck and the pair watch as they pull what looks like half man half monster out of the bed and start carrying it into the house. “What the hell is that?” Hayla asks and quickly follows behind them. Sam and Dean lay the creature on the table.  
“Built like a supermodel, but the thing was strong. That's for damn sure. Carried a full-grown man up a tree in nothing flat,” Bobby explained.  
“But, it only took one bullet to bring it down,” Sam interjects.  
“And not even a silver bullet, just a bullet-bullet,” Dean adds.Just then the creature sits bolt upright and stands up on the table. Killian jumps in front of Hayla pushing her back while the guys all fire at it repeatedly. It falls back down on table.  
They all stare at it for a moment just to be sure its dead. Hayla uncovers her ears now the shooting is done and Killian looks her over to make sure she’s alright. She gives him a reassuring nod. “First one must have just stunned it,” Bobby sighed.  
Dean steps forward towards the monster. “Alright, well, let's check its hulk pants for some ID.” He digs through the man's pockets and takes a wallet out cover in gunk. “Oh, that is just gonna ruin the leather,” he says examining the goop. Hayla gives hima questioning look and Sam snatches the wallet away from him.  
“Are you feeling okay?” Bobby asks him.  
“Yeah, I feel great.”  
“Gerald Browder,” Sam identifies the monster, “uh, lived here in town, 5'9", brown hair and blue eyes... 235 pounds.”  
“Whoa,” Dean says in regards to the weight loss he obviously had gone through.  
“Well, apparently, he's lost a little pudge,” Bobby says.  
“Maybe it's a lap-band side effect,” Dean suggests with a smile. Hayla and the guys exchange look as Dean laughs. Bobby picks up a stick and pokes it inside one of the bullet wounds in the creature. It drips gray goo.  
“What the hell?” He exclaims. “I think we better have a look under Gerald's hood.”

Sam and Bobby are examining the creature’s open chest cavity using forceps as Hayla supervises.  
“God! His organs are swimming in the stuff,” Bobby says and Hayla can hear the sloshing of grey goo and it makes her stomach turn. Dean comes into the room, pouring himself a glass of whiskey.  
“You guys getting hungry? I'm hungry.” They all glare in his direction and roll their eyes before diving back into the corps.  
“What's that?” Sam points at something.  
“His stomach,” Bobby explained. “For a guy on a diet, Gerry here packed it in pretty good.”  
“That's human right there.”  
“That's fresh Rick. Let's see. Plus…” He pulls out something from Gerry’s stomach.  
“A pine cone?” Hayla questions.   
Bobby nods and pulls out something else. “A pack of gum in the wrapper.”   
“That's older. Maybe like, maybe Ranger Phil or the camper?” Sam suggests.  
“What's that?” Bobby asks as Sam pulls out a black ball of something.  
They all examine it and Hayla speaks up. “Yeah that’s a cat’s head,” she confirms.  
Sam flinches away from it and quickly drops it in a bucket. “A glamper or two is one thing, but you gotta be damn hungry to eat a cat's head.”Sam and Hayla nod in agreement. “Well, lookit here. I'm no Dr. Oz, but…” Bobby takes a large, lumpy, black object out of the creature’s body. The stench was horrible and San and Hayla cover their noses. “I think that's his adrenal glands.”  
“Okay. And?” Sam questions in disgust.  
“Meant to be the size of hotel bar soap... and bright orange.” Sam points to the bucket and Bobby drops it in.  
“Alright, that might help explain the strength. Um, but whatever this thing is, it's not the Jersey Devil, but it sure as hell ain't Gerald Browder anymore.”  
“Okay, guys, seriously,” Dean interupts them again and they all look at him annoyed. “It's time for dinner?” Sam sighs and gives him a slight nod clenching his jaw.

They go back to Biggerson's for dinner. Dean is eating a TDK Slammer, Bobby and Sam have only cups of coffee, and Hayla is pushing the letus in her salad around with a fork. Sam is reading from the New Jersey Police Missing Persons Agency website on his laptop.  
“Gerald Browder, 35, self-employed. Air-conditioning repairman,” He reads off. “Missing person number three. Disappeared eight days ago.”  
“Well, that explains all the people who got eaten in the last eight days,” Bobby states obviously.  
“Yeah. Question is, what happened to him?” Dean is groaning as he eats his sandwich with large bites. “Dean. Uh, so, what do you think?”  
He shrugs and talks with a mouth full of food, “I'm not that worried about it.”  
“Excuse me?” Bobby says.  
He chuckles a bit. “That's funny, right? I could give two shakes of a rat's ass. Is that right? Do rats shake their ass, or is it something else? Eh.” He goes back to eating his sandwich.  
“Uh, guys,” she says catching Sam and Bobby’s attention. Sam looks in the direction Hayla is and he notices what she does. Many customers around eating the same sandwich.  
“Give me that,” Sam launches himself across the table and snatches the sandwich from Dean.  
“Whoa, whoa! Why?!” Dean shouts.  
“There's some funky chicken in the TDK Slammer, ain't there?” Bobby asks.  
“Yeah.” Sam sniffs the sandwich and recoils.

Back at the house Bobby sets the sandwich, wrapped in foil in the shape of a swan, down on a plate on the table and they all gather around it.  
“This is stupid,” Dean pouts, “My sandwich didn't do anything. I don't know what you think you're gonna find.” Sam gently unwraps the sandwich and Bobby and Hayla glare at him. unwraps the sandwich.  
“There's something wrong with you, Dean,” Bobby exclaims.  
“Are you kidding? I'm fine! I actually feel great. The best I've felt in a couple months. Cas? Black goo? I don't even care anymore. And you know what's even better? I don't care that I don't care.” He give them all some childish head wobble. “I just want my damn slammer back.”  
“Dude, you are completely stoned,” Sam shoots back.  
“Just like Ranger Rick,” Hayla interjects.  
“Just like the dinner rush back at Biggerson's. And everybody's loving the Turducken,” Bobby says. Just then grey goo bubbles out from the sandwich.  
“I think you pissed off my sandwich,” Dean says shocked.  
They all look back at the plate to see more goo bubbling out the side.  
“That -- that's in me?” Dean asks disgusted.  
“O-only half of it,” Sam confirms. Hayla walks to Deans side cause she’s pretty sure that he’s about to hurl at any moment.  
“Does that snot look familiar?” Bobby asks.  
“Okay, so whatever turned Gerry Browder into a pumpkin head... and is currently turning Dean into an idiot -”  
“I’m right here. Right here,” Dean says offended and Hayla pats his arm in comfort.  
“Is in the Turducken Slammer at Biggerson's,” Bobby finishes.  
“Yeah.”  
“It's in the meat.”   
Dean scrunches his nose at the sandwich again. “If I wasn't so chilled out right now, I would puke.” Hayla nods in agreement.

They all take a trip down to Biggersons that night in an old van Bobby managed to scrounge up. Hayla sits against the back door. Dean’s head is lying in her lap as he snores softly.   
“How's he doing?” Sam asks her. She brushes the hair on his head gently and smiles.  
“He's sleeping it off,” She assures him.  
Then Bobby jokes, “Tryptophan coma.” The three chuckle.  
“So, you think he's okay?” Sam asks Bobby.  
“Yeah, he's alright.”  
“Good. So you don't worry about him?” Sam asks obviously stressing over his brother.  
“What do you mean? Before the Turducken?”  
“Yeah. Yeah, I kind of mean more like, uh... more like ever since my head broke... and we lost Cas. I mean, you ever feel like he's -- he's going through the same motions but he's not the same Dean, you know?” Hayla sits quietly listening to their conversation.  
“How could he be?”  
“Right, yeah, but what if-”  
“What if what, Sam? You know, you worry about him. He worries about everyone. Hell, even Hayla has lost a few nights sleep over the two of you. Who's left to live their own life here? All of you. Aren't you full up just playing Snuffleupagus with the Devil all the live long?” Hayla hangs her head in thought.  
“I don't know, Bobby. Seeing Lucifer's fine with me,” Hayla had found out this bit of information during one of Sam and Dean’s fights over that past month. Dean had let it slip that Sam had returned from hell and is reliving his time in hell. It was then Hayla realized how much her family was actually screwed up. Since then she’s learned a lot about things they would rather her not know. The Apocalypse. Leviathan. The twisted hobby her family seemed to have of dying and coming back to life. Demons, Crowley in particular seeing he was the one who stuck her with Killian. Angels, this was a touchy subject for everyone. Dean mostly referred to them as winged dicks but Hayla knew the exception. Castiel. Hayla had asked about him a couple times but Dean never talked about it. She knows that he’s the owner of the black and blood stained trench coat they carry with them and something bad must have happened to get it that way and for dean not to want to talk about it. At first Dean commented with, “He was like family, but things happened and now he’s gone.” A week later it changed to, “He was our friend, but he made some bad choices and it cost him.” Hayla stopped asking when Dan finally snapped, “He was just some angel okay! He betrayed the people who had his back because like all angels they only care about themselves and now he’s dead. So just stop asking.” Today was the first day Dean had mentioned him again in about two weeks.  
“Come again?” Bobby asked Sam.  
“Look, I'm not saying it's fun. I mean, to be honest with you, I kind of see it as the best-case scenario. I mean,” Sam pauses and presses his thumb into his hand, “at least all my crazy's under one umbrella, you know? I kind of know what I'm dealing with. A lot of people got it worse.”  
“You always were one deep little son of a bitch,” Bobby scoffs and Sam laughs.  
“Wait, wait, wait. Here we go,” Sam perks up and looks out the windshield. Hayla gently lays Dean on the floor and shuffles to the front to look out with them. A delivery truck is backing up to the Biggerson’s receiving entrance. The truck reads “MIDWEST MEAT AND POULTRY WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTION.” The driver gets out of the truck and wheels cartons from the truck into the restaurant, then gets back into the truck and drives away.   
“Well, I guess we follow him,” Bobby says.

They follow the truck till it pulls up to a warehouse and parks. Dean ha woken up and they all watch for anything out of the ordinary. “That's weird, right?” Sam asks looking through a pair of binoculars. “I mean, national franchise like Biggerson's getting meat from a place that looks like it wholesales Hong Kong knockoffs.”  
“Okay. Yeah. It's a little weird,” Dean admits. The truck driver enters the warehouse.  
“Alright, well, I guess we wait till they close up shop, go take a look around?” Sam suggests.  
“Hang on,” Bobby cuts in. A car pulls up to the warehouse and someone gets out. The truck driver comes out of the warehouse and lets him in.  
“No,” Sam breathes out.  
“What?” Hayla asks.  
“Edgar,” He says the mystery mans name.  
“Leviathans,” Dean explains further. Edgar opens the trunk and helps out Brandon, whose head is covered with a hood. The truck driver takes Brandon by the arm and leads him into the warehouse. “Son of a bitch.”  
“What the hell is going on?” Bobby exclaims.

Dean and Bobby are sitting in their vehicle outside the warehouse. Bobby is holding a cell phone which is on speaker.  
“There's nothing happening back here at all.” Sam says through the phone.  
“Yeah, okay, Sam. Well, they're pretty dug in, so why don't you finish circling and head on back?” Bobby replies.  
“Right.” Bobby hangs up and looks over at Dean who is watching outside of the van. Killian and Hayla are practicing her fighting skills out of the sight of the warehouse.  
“How's your head?” Bobby asks him.  
His attention snaps back inside the van and he replies, “Well, I think the slammer's pretty much wore off. In between that and the 20 cups of coffee, I'm nicely tense and alarmed.”  
“I wasn't talking about that.”  
“Oh, Bobby, don't go all Sigmund Freud on me right now, okay? I just got drugged by a sandwich,” he bites.  
“I want to talk about your new party line”  
“Party? What are you talking about? I don't even vote.”  
"The world's a suicide case. We save it, it just steals more pills?”  
“Bobby, I'm here, okay? I'm on the case. What's the problem?”  
“I've seen a lot of hunters live and die. You're starting to talk like one of the dead ones, Dean.”  
“No, I'm talking the way a person talks when they've had it, when they can't figure out why they used to think all this mattered.”  
“Oh, you poor, sorry... You're not a person.”  
“Thanks.”  
“Come on, now. You tried to hang it up and be a person with Lisa and Ben.” Dean glares to himself. “And now here you are with a mean old coot and a van full of guns while your daughter fist fights with a demon. That ain't person behavior, son. You're a hunter, meaning you're whatever the job you're doing today. Now, you get a case of the Anne Sextons, something's gonna come up behind you and rip your fool head off. Now, you find your reasons to get back in the game. You owe at least that much to that little girl. So I don't care if it's love or spite or a ten-dollar bet. I've been to enough funerals. I mean it. You die before me, and I'll kill you.”  
“We need to scrape some money together, get you a condo or something.” Dean mumbles to himself and goes back to watching Hayla.

“Come on you gotta try harder,” Killian taunts. Hayla is resting her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath.  
“I am trying. I just need to catch my breath.”  
“Yeah go ahead cause you know I’m sure when your life really does depend on it the bad guy will let you take a breather.”  
“You’re an ass,” she grunts out.  
“If you haven’t noticed you are in the middle of a leviathan war zone right now so the faster you learn this the better.”  
She stands up and glares at him. “Of course i’ve noticed,” she brushed him off and walked past him to her duffle bag to get her water. “They drugged my dad if you don’t remember.” Killian starts to laugh. “It’s not. Funny,” she growls.  
“I beg to differ,” he chuckles.  
“I’m serious. Things were so bad last night that he even mentioned the forbidden ‘C’ word.” Killian gave her a questioning look. “Cas,” she explains.  
“Ooooh.” He nods. “The angel boy.” Hayla perks up at this.  
“You know him.”  
He shakes his head. “No, not personally. But I doubt you’ll find an angel or demon around who doesn’t know of him.”  
“Why?”  
He tilts his head sideways with a smirk. “Who do you think released the black leviathan plague into this world?”  
Hayla is shocked. “That was Cas?” Just then Sam comes up behind her and wraps an arm around her waist.  
“Come on. Get back into the van,” he says rushed and pushes her towards the door. Killian grabs her duffel and follows closely behind them. “Hey. Something's up,” he tells Dean and Bobby. They all watch out the windshield as two black vehicles pull up as Edgar and Dr. Gaines come out of the building. Then someone gets out of the second vehicle.  
“Well, I'll be a squirrel in a skirt,” Bobby exclimes. “ It's Dick frigging Roman.”  
“What? Who the hell is Dick frigging Roman?”

That’s how they ended up watching some news report on DIck Roman.  
“Holy crap. What the hell is that?” Dean asks.  
“That's one of the top 50 most powerful men in America, Dean,” Sam explains.  
“Says here top 35 as of last month,” Hayla points out.  
“Now it's all making sense. Remember when Crowley kept going on about hating Dick? I thought he was just being general. Pfft!” Dean jokes.  
“Well,” Bobby cuts in, “if the Leviathan got to him, then that means they're playing on a much bigger board than we were thinking.”  
“So what, then? I mean, we can't exactly outgun them,” Sam points out.  
“No, but we got the drop on them. Means we got a chance to figure out what these guys are really doing here.”  
Bobby starts assembling so surveillance equipment. “Whoa. Where'd you get that mother?” Dean asks.  
“It's on loan from Frank's big brother collection. It'll pick up vocal vibrations from window glass at half a mile. It's time to find out what these ugly bastards are up to.”

Bobby took all of his equipment and left the boys and Hayla in the van to watch one side while he spied on the other. “Our side's still dead, Bobby. Anything with you?” Dean asks him into the phone.  
“Yeah, same here,” he responds. “I got- hold on. Yeah, I got movement” They all perk up and gather around the phone. “My side, second floor, meeting room.” They wait another moment in silence.  
Then they hear a woman’s voice over Bobby’s surveillance gear. “And I'll reschedule with the Senator for lunch Tuesday. You can deal with the archdiocese in the afternoon.”  
“Fine,” a voice says that Hayla recognizes from the news report as Roman’s.  
“Dick, please,” Dr. Gaines pleads. “Let me explain to you what our program has to offer.”  
“No. Let me explain why we're shutting your program down,” Dick commands and they all listen intently.  
“We're shutting it down? No, you can't-”  
“I'm shutting it down because of the one golden rule. Do you know it?”  
“Yes. ‘Don't make the papers.’ And I promise that-”  
“No,” Dick cuts him off. “The golden rule is there's no such thing as monsters. Anything stirs their little pots to the contrary, very bad for our plans. So, how can I use your mistake to communicate this to all your coworkers?”  
“Listen, sir, I will do anything. I will give anything to make this right.”  
“I know you will.”  
There is a moment of silence and they can hear slight movement before the Doctor breathes out, “You're bibbing me?”  
“Do you know what you can give us, doctor? Your example.” Dick finishes and then everything goes quiet.  
“What's happening now?” Dean asks.  
“Wait,” he snaps back. They listen for another moment and hear Bobby huff in shock. “Now I have officially seen it all.”  
“Bobby, what is it?” Sam asks.  
“He's making the doctor eat himself,” he explained and they all give each other disgusted looks.  
“What?” Dean asks for clarification.  
“He's-” Booby starts but he gets cut off. They can all hear some commotion on the other end of the line.  
“Bobby?” Dean calls into the call. “Bobby!”

Dean come walking back to the van and throws the door open. “What happened? Where’s Bobby?” Hayla asks from the front seat.  
“They got him,” Dean responds quickly grabbing his gun and exchanging the bullets inside.  
“Dean, there are at least four Leviathans out there. We don't even know how to kill one,” Sam points out. Dean runs his hand over his face and looks around for an answer. Just then a van pulls up with ‘ACME Industrial Cleaning” writen on the side. Dean’s face lights up with an idea.  
“Well, it'll be quite a shock when we walk in through the front door, won't it?” he smirks. The boys exchange looks and Dean shoves the gun back into the waistband of his jeans. “Come on.” He pats Sam on the shoulder and they start making their way over to the cleaning van.   
“What?” Hayla exclaims and jumps out after them. “Wait! No!” Hayla grabs onto Dean’s sleeve and stops him. He turns back and looks at her. “You can't go in there!”  
“Hayla-” he pleads.  
“You know this is a trap, right?”  
“Of course I know that. That is exactly why you are staying in the van with Killian.”  
“What! No! I- I- I won’t- I can’t-” she babbles.  
“Hayla,” he pleads again taking her face between his hands and looking to her eyes.  
“I can’t lose you.”  
He shakes his head at her and kisses her forehead. He pulls her into a hug and she holds him tight. “You won’t,” he says into her hair then pulls back slowly. “Now listen,” he says ooking into her eyes again. “I’m going to go in there, rescue Bobby, and I’ll be right back,” he says as though it’s as simple as buying milk at the store. “But I need you to take the van and meet us outside the front doors in ten minutes. Okay?” He pulls the car keys from his jacket and hands them to her. She nods and makes her way back to the van and starts it up. “Killian,” he waves the demon over. He looks at Dean quizzically. “If I’m not back in ten minutes...drive.”  
“What?” he questions.  
“If I don’t make it out you get her out of here.”  
“Hayla’s not just going to leave you behind.”  
“I don’t care. Tie her up, knock her out, do whatever you have to do to keep her safe. You understand me?” Killian only nods slightly. “Good.” Dean walks away towards the building and Killian jumps in the passenger seat of the van.   
“What was all that about?” she questions.  
“Nothing just drive, Scott,” he orders not looking at her. She can obviously tell he’s lying but she starts the car anyway.

Ten minutes later just like clockwork Dean and Sam came running out of the building like bat outta hell. Hayla smiles relieved and shifts the van into drive and floors it only to screech to a stop right in front of them. Killian throws open the door and they both climb in.   
“Holy crap that was close,” Dean says taking the seat next to Hayla.   
“Wait where’s Bobby?” she questions.  
Just then Bobby bursts out the door running. “Bobby!” Sam exclaims. “Come on.” Sam and Killian help him into the van.  
“Go! Go!” he yells at Hayla as Dick comes out the door as well. Hayla floors it again speeding out of the parking lot as Dick shoots at them.  
“Son of a bitch!” Dean yells Sam leans up in the front seat with them. “I'm glad you got in. He almost took your freaking head off,” he tells Bobby.  
Sam picks up Bobby’s hat off the van floor. “Hey, Bobby, your hat.” He holds it back for the old man to take but he doesn’t. “Bobby?” he looks back and suddenly disappears from between them into the back. “Oh, God. Bobby? Bobby?” Dean turns back to see the commission and Hayla’s heart drops.  
“Bobby?!”


	8. Death's Door

“Bobby?” Sam yelled down at the unconscious man. “Bobby? Hey, hey, hey, hey. Hold on.”  
“Sam, is he dead?” Dean yelled back to him.  
“I’m checking.”  
Sam checks Bobby’s neck for a pulse. “Is he dead?!  
“Dean!” Sam snaps. “Bobby!”  
“Oh my god,” Hayla panics running her fingers through her hair.  
“Hayla, calm down. I just need for you to drive. Can you do that for me?” Hayla Doesn’t answer and breathes heavily with white knuckles on the wheel. “Hal,” he says gentler and rest a hand on her shoulder. “Can you do that for me?” She nods quickly. “Okay good girl. You gotta talk to me, Sam!” Dean pulls out his phone and looks back to his brother again.  
“All right, he’s breathing. There’s a pulse.” Dean enters numbers on his cell phone.  
“Keep him upright. Stop the bleeding.”  
“I’m not an idiot, Dean! I know first aid for a friggin’ bullet to the head!”  
Dean speaks into the phone, “I need the nearest trauma center.”  
“Hold on. Hold on,” Sam talks to Bobby.  
“What’s the address?!” Dean yells.   
“You take care of him I’ll get us there,” Killian says to Dean and takes his place up front with Hayla.  
“Alright, Bobby. Just hang in there,” he says to his uncle.

As soon as they get to the hospital Bobby is wheeled out of the van on a gurney and into the hospital.  
“Page the neurosurgeon on call,” the nurse yells out orders. “Tell OR to put electives on hold.” The three follow behind Bobby’s bed as a bunch of people come rushing towards him. “Move trauma 2 to bed 7 as soon as it's clean. Gunshot wound to the right frontal area, no exit wound found. Breathing spontaneously. Respiratory rate 18 and shallow. RST at 120. BP 90 over 60. GCS 5.”  
“Push 80 grams of Mannitol over 30. Prep for intubation.”  
“Air entry clear to bases.”  
“Let's get a central line in here now,” the doctor and nurse yell back and forth.  
“What's happening? Please just tell us,” Sam begs stepping.  
“Get them out of here,” the doctor orders. Hayla tries to rush forward again and the nurse grabs her.  
“Ma’am you can’t go in there. The doctors are trying to get him into a comfortable state so-”  
“Yeah, well he’s not comfortable he’s dying!” Hayla yells angry  
“Sorry. You need to stay out of their way,” the nurse ushers them.  
“That's our uncle,” Dean argues.  
“You got to stay back,” she says again.  
“What are they doing?” Sam asks.  
“We need to get him stable.”  
“Okay, when are you gonna take the bullet out?”  
“If we can get the swelling down, if it's in a place we can get to, if –”  
“If he even lives that long,” Sam finishes off for her.  
The Nurse walks back behind the curtain and pulls it shut across the door to the trauma room.  
The three stand outside Bobby’s trauma room watching helplessly as shadows move behind the curtains.  
“Push 30 more of Mannitol over 10,” they hear the doctors say as machines start going crazy. “CBC and 'lytes. Bolus him with 500 saline.”  
“His vitals were stable two minutes ago,” the nurse explains.  
“Well, he's crashing now.” Many people rush around him hooking him to wires and checking him over with all kinds of tools.  
“Blood pressure 130 over 90.”  
“I can’t watch this,” Hayla says walking away with tears in her eyes.

A few moments later the doctor opens the curtain and walks over to Dean with Sam leaning on the wall nearby.  
“He's, uh, stable for the moment,” The doctor informs. “We’ll just have to see.” They both nod as the doctor walks away. Dean looks at Bobby in the trauma room, then turns slowly and looks at Sam.   
“I’m gonna go find Hayla,” he tells his brother before silently walking away. He walks through the halls till he finds her leaning against a wall with her head back, eyes closed, and tears on her cheeks . Dean sighs and walks over. “Hayla,” he quietly alerts her to his presence.  
She looks up at him and quickly wipes away her tears and sniffles, trying to pull herself together. “I’m sorry,” she apologizes.  
“For what? Crying? If you’d had taken any better then I would have been concerned,” Dean tries to joke.  
“I just couldn’t-” she trails off and gestures down the hallway but Dean knows what shes trying to say. She looks back up at him with tear stained cheeks and glossy red eyes.  
“It’s scary stuff,” Dean agrees.  
“Sometimes the world just seems really...harsh. And I don’t know if I’m going to be strong enough to handle it.” She takes a shaky breath before her tears start once again. It hurts Dean to see her hurt. He feels worthless not being able to help her or himself for that matter. “Damn it,” she curses herself as tears drip from her chin.  
“Hey,” Dean reaches for her and pulls her into a hug. She grips onto him tightly as she sobs. “Everything is going to be okay,” he says trying to soothe her. When her sobs subside she pulls away from his chest and takes a deep breath. Dean wipes the tears away from her eyes.  
“Come on lets go find Sam,” he suggests. She nods then Dean wraps his arm around her shoulders and hers circle his waist as they walk down the hallway back towards Bobby’s room. When they reach the room Sam is talking to the doctor again. “Stay here,” Dean says stopping her near a counter a good distance away. He doesn’t want her to be apart of whatever conversation is going on.  
“So, there's nothing else we can do?” Sam asks the doctor as Dean walks up behind them.  
“I'm sorry. We just have to wait. We'll see if the swelling goes down,” The doctor explains.  
“How long?” Dean asks.  
“It's hard to say in cases like this.”  
“Well, he's lasted this long. That's something, right?” He asks hopeful.  
“Well, yes,” the doctor pauses not wanting to give the boys too much to hope for. “Listen – the bullet didn't shatter. Only one hemisphere of his brain was injured. These are all positive things. But...I don't want to give you false hope here. He's far from out of the woods. Most of the time, cases like this…”  
“They die,” Sam finishes.  
“Right now it comes down to him. I'll keep you updated.” The doctor walks away as the boys sink this in.  
Then a man walks up behind the men.  
“Excuse me,” he clears his throat. “Sorry to interrupt. Is one of you Robert Singer's next of kin?”  
Dean and Sam exchange confused looks. “I guess I am,” Dean steps forward.  
“Do you mind if we talk for a moment?” Dean shrugs annoyed but walks away with the guy anyway. Hayla watches them walk around the corner and all the way to end of the hall.   
“Who’s that?” shea asks as she feels Sam walk up behind her.  
“No idea,” he responds also watching them down the hall. Hayla shrugs and finally looks at Sam who looks more distressed than he normally does. She sighs and runs her fingers through her hair.  
“How’s Bobby doing?” she asks not sure if she really wants the answer.  
“Um,” Sam hesitates. “They’re not sure,” he says keeping it vague. “There are a lot of best case scenarios being thrown around but it could go either way at this point.” Hayla nods sadly. “But if I know Bobby he’s not going to go without a fight.” Sam gives her a half smile and she returns it.  
“Why are you talking to me like he’s gonna die!” Hayla and Sam attention are then directed down the hall where Dean is yelling at the small man. Sam was about to run down but Hayla held up her hand stopping him and rushed forward. “I do my job! Do your jobs! Save him!”   
“I’m sure they’re doing everything they can,” the man muttered out sheepishly before Deans fist flew just missing his left cheek and breaking the glass behind him.  
“Dean!” Hayla rushed forward and put herself between Dean and the terrified man. Dean went to take another swing at the man not registering Hayla’s presence. She put her hand on his arm and the other one his chest literally holding him back from punching the small man. When he finally looked down at his daughter his tense muscles relaxed enough to where it felt safe to let him go. Deans eyes flicked between the man frozen against the wall and his daughter standing between the two of them. He took a deep breath and pointed down the hallway.  
“Walk away from me,” Dean said to the man but he still stood frozen. “Now!” he barked and Hayla flinched as the man practically ran away.  
“I’m so sorry,” Hayla said turning down the hall to apologize to the man but he was too long gone to hear. “Dean,” she turned around towards her father but he was already walking out the front door. Hayla sighed and leaned against the wall with her head in her hands.  
“So dramatic” a familiar voice sounded. Hayla looked up hesitantly to see Killian’s smug face grinning at her. Hayla glared at the demon on the opposite wall. “If looks could kill,” he joked and Hayla crossed her arms over her chest.  
“Why are you still here? You’re not needed here.” Killian opened his mouth to say something that Hayla was sure would be offensive in some way, so she cut him off. “No, shut up.” Killian closes his mouth in shock. “Last time I checked I was here because my uncle was lying in a coma just down that hall. He could die. That’s my family,” grits through her teeth. “”So I don’t need your snarky commentary narrating the experience, and I don’t need you. So go away!” she yelled. He looked taken back by this for a moment and in a blink he was gone.

When Dean comes back he finds his brother and his daughter outside Bobby’s room once more. Sam is leaning against a window and Hayla is sitting in a chair next to him with her knees pulled up to her chest. He walks over to the girl and bends down to her level. “You okay?”  
“I’m fine,’” she says not really looking in his eyes and he knows she’s either lying or in denial.   
“Here.” He hands her the small cup he’s holding. “I know you hate tea so I got you some hot chocolate.”  
Hayla takes the cup with a slight smile at Dean’s attempt to calm her.  
“Thanks,” she whispers out and takes a sip of the hot liquid. “What did that guy want?” she asks referring to the fight that just broke out.  
“Uh, nothing. Just some insurance mook,” he brushes it off. Then he turns towards Sam, “Dick Roman was out there,” he tells his brother and both Hayla and Sam perk up at this information.  
“What? What happened?” Sam asks.  
“Nothing...For now. It was just a friggin' staring contest. That was about it. What's the update?” he asks coming back to Bobby.  
“The swelling's down a little. They took him off sedation. Apparently, he – he started fighting his tube. So they pulled them out, and he's breathing on his own.”  
“That's good, right? Is that good?” Dean says hopeful.  
“Yeah. Well, doctor said best-case scenario.”  
“All right, so when they gonna take the bullet out?” Sam sighs.  
“Dean,” Hayla speaks up, “they're not even – they're not even gonna try that, not yet,” she explains.  
“What does that mean?”  
“The word "abrading," I think.”  
“English,” he snaps.  
“Cutting out the dead brain tissue,” Sam buts in. “That's if the doctor even thinks it's worth the risk.” Sam looks down at Hayla and then back at Dean. “Can I talk to you?” he asks his brother and moves him away from Hayla.  
“What? Talk about what?” Dean asks confused.  
Sam gives him a knowing look. “You know what.”  
“No,” realization hits Dean and he shakes his head. “We're not gonna have that conversation,” he refuses.  
“Well, we need to,” Sam insists.”  
“He's not gonna die!”  
“He might.”  
“Sam,” Dean warns.  
“Dean,” sam warns back. “Listen – we need to brace ourselves.  
“Why?”  
“Because it's real!”  
“What do you want to do? You want to hug and – and say we made it through it when Dad died? We've been through enough. Hayla has been through enough.” Sam gives him a sympathetic look. “We don’t deserve this.” Dean walks away. He pauses at the door and looks at Sam, then leaves. Sam walks back over to Hayla and sits in the chair next to her. Hayla doesn’t miss it when he presses into the scar on his palm.

It was quiet for a while and Hayla had just started to relax again when the nurse comes walking down the hall giving order to a woman. “Keep the head of the bed up for transport. IV can run off the pump. Just run a TKVO. We'll have to wait for respiratory.” The three jump from their seats hearing her talk about Bobby.  
“Wait, wait, wait,” Sam stops her. “Whats happening?”  
“He's showing signs of responsiveness,” Hayla’s hearts lifts at this news. “We're taking him up for surgery. If you want to see him, I'd squeeze in there quick.” The three rush into his room and stop upon the sight of their uncle lying unconscious and unmoving in the bed. Hayla slowly makes her way over to the side of the bed and sits next to him taking his hand. None of them say anything for a good five minutes. They just stare like he’s going to wake up any second and everything is going to be okay again.   
“Sorry. We need to get moving,” interrupting them.  
“Right. Yeah,” Sam says understandingly. Hayla hops off the bed and makes her way around to Dean who wraps an arm around her. Sam looks at the two and them back down at Bobby. “Hey, um... Bobby, um, hey…” Sam takes his hand. “Just... thanks... for everything.”  
“All right. Please step back,” the nurse orders.  
“Yeah,” Dean agrees and starts to walk Hayla out. Just then Bobby reaches out and touches Sams hand. Sam jumps at the contact and looks back to see Bobby opening his eyes.  
“Wait, wait, wait, wait, stop. His eyes are open,” Sam calls out.”  
“Bobby?” Dean and Hayla rush back to his side.  
“Hey.” Sam puts a hand on Bobby’s shoulder. Bobby raises his hand and tears away the respirator covering his mouth and nose.   
He opens his mouth to try and say something but dean cuts him off, “What? Don't talk. Don't talk. A pen – I –” Dean grabs the chart at the end of the bed and they hand the pen to Bobby. “Here. Here, here, here. What is it?”  
They watch as Bobby takes Sam’s hand and writes down the numbers“45489”. breathing heavily with the effort. Whne he finishes he smiles slightly at the three who lean closer to him. To ohear what he’s trying to say.  
“Idjits,” he mutters out quietly. Sam and Dean smile and Hayla gives out a relieved chuckle. Then their smiles fade as Bobby’s head falls back onto the pillow, his eyes close and, the line he’s attached to goes flat.  
“Bobby? Hey!” Dean yells at him.  
Hayla feels like she’s falling. Everything seems to move in slow motion as they are pushed back out of the room and a bunch of doctors and nurses rush past them into the room. It all feels like one terrible, awful nightmare that you can never wake up from.  
“Call a code – trauma room,” Hayla hears the nurse call through the haze. Hayla didn’t even realize she had started to cry time until Dean pulled her into his arms. “Shh baby don’t look. Don’t look Hal,” he hushes her and pulls her towards his chest. She hides her face sobbing and grips onto his jacket for dear life. Dean wraps his arms around her stroking her back and buries his face in her hair trying to comfort her. “Just don’t look,” he keeps saying and every time she could hear his resolve fading until felt his tears and heard Sam give a sob. “Just don’t look.”


	9. Adventures In Babysitting

The next few weeks passed by in a blur. They managed to pull themselves together long enough to give Bobby a hunter’s burial, and then travel back to South Dakota back to Rufus’s cabin. That’s when things got really hard. Barely anyone talked, or ate. Hayla spent most hours of the day in bed even though she only slept a few hours a night. She was making Killian’s job pretty easy seeing as the only thing he needed to protect her from was starvation and dehydration, which he said made him ‘feel like a damn nurse in an elderly home’. Dean mostly drank and obsessed over the same five numbers Bobby left behind. While Sam tried to hold everything together including himself.  
It’s been four weeks since Bobby’s death now and Hayla has finally moved, per Dean’s request for her to get out of bed, and is now lying on the couch next to Dean with a blanket pulled up just below her nose while Dean pins an article after article about Dick Roman to a board on the wall. Sam comes inside and puts two duffel bags full of Bobby’s stuff on a table before taking a beer out of the refrigerator. He pops the cap off and looks over at his brother. “Dean,” he breaks the silence, “you know, um... I wonder if – if we... I mean, should we be telling people? I mean, people he knew.”  
Dean turns away from the board for the first time in the past hour and looks at his brother. “How long ago did I give Frank these numbers? It's been a few weeks, right?” Sam nods. “What, is he nuts, or is he just being rude?” Dean asks completely ignoring Sam’s question.  
“Probably both. Dean, I-I got to ask you a question.”  
“Unless, of course, something happened to him,” he continues to change the subject. “He can't get to the phone because a Leviathan ate his face.”  
“Yeah, also a possibility.”  
“We should go check on him.”  
“Dean, do you want to call Bobby's people or not?” Sam asks again.  
“Why – why is that our job?”  
Sam shrugs. “Because who else is gonna do it?”  
“I'm not calling anybody. If you want to, you go right ahead,” Dean says annoyed.  
“I don't want to call anybody. You kidding me?” Just then a phone rings for one of the duffle bags. Sam looks from the bag the to Dean.  
“Well, I'm not getting it,” Dean snaps. Sam digs through the bag and takes out the phone.  
“Hello?” He answers it and Dean walks up beside him to dig through the bag. “Uh, no. He's, uh... I-I-it's not, but I'm a friend of his,” Sam replies to the person on the other end of the line. Dean takes out a flask and sniffs it’s contents. “He's... not here, but, look, if you need s–” Sam gets cut off when the other person obviously had hung up on him and he closes the phone.  
“Who was it?” Dean asks.  
“Just some kid.”  
“For Bobby? Girl scout cookies?”  
“I think maybe, “ Dean picks up his full bottle of beer from the table while looking over the numbers again, “maybe a-a hunter's kid? I mean, she sounded pretty scared. You know, I have a caller ID. Maybe we should go find her. We – we can check on her,” Sam suggests.  
“What about Frank?”  
“Well, Dean, I think we should go find this girl first.”  
“Sam, Frank's been working on the numbers that Bobby spent his last breath on, and you want to back-burner that?” Sam gives Dean a challenging look and Dean sighs. “Fine. You go check out girl scout. I'll find Frank.”  
“Fine. But you know what? On one condition – if Frank is just spinning his wheels, then you bail out on crazy and come meet me.” Dean nods in agreement. He then goes to take a drink of his beer only to find it empty.  
“And thanks for drinking my entire beer,” Dean says blaming Sam.  
“I didn't touch your beer. Mine's right there,” He says point to the beer on the table.   
“You probably drank it without noticing.”  
“Right,” he says sceptically. But he brushes it off and walks into the back room to fetch a bag for his trip. When he comes back out to the kitchen Sam stops him.  
“Wait, Dean.” Sam grabs his arm.  
“What?” he asks.  
“Well I just remembered,” Sam whispered, “if I’m going to check on the girl and you’re going to Frank’s, what about…” Sam gestures to the couch and they both look over at Hayla. She is still wrapped in that ratty blanket and staring blankly at the wall.  
“I can hear you. You know?” They both look away awkwardly. Hayla shrugs the blanket off and stands up to face them. “It’s fine. I can drag myself out to Frank’s if it means finding out what these damn numbers mean.”  
“Hayla I don’t think thats a great idea,” Sam says gently know how fragile she’s been in the past couple weeks.  
“I’m not up for a fight right now. You can go solo on checking up on some girl and I don’t want to stay here anymore. I need to get out. So I’m going.” Hayla storms out of the room and Sam and Dean exchange worried looks.

Hayla is in the bedroom packing things in her bag when she turns around to grab more clothes and a body blocked her way. She gasps loudly and put her hand over her heart until she saw who it was. “Don’t do that!” she snaps at him.   
“Sorry,” Killian says insincerely with a smirk. He turns around and grabs one of her bras. He hook his thumbs around the straps. He turns back to her with a cheshire grin on his face teasing her. She snatches the garment from his hands with an annoyed scoff and throws it in the bag.  
“What are you doing here?” she questions his first appearance in the past few days.  
“I called him,” Dean says from the doorway.  
“There’s been a change in plans,” Killian explains.  
Hayla looks between the two piecing things together before she finally realizes what’s happening. “No. No way in hell!” she bursts out.  
“Killian is going to take you for a few days,” Dean says ignoring her refusal.  
“No!”  
“Hayla this is why he’s here in the first place. To keep you safe.”  
“You mean to babysit me.”  
“Hayla you’re not ready to jump back into things yet and I’m not leaving you alone. Plus you’re the one who said you want to get out. So he’s taking you, and that’s the end of this conversation.” Dean walks out of the room.  
She turns back to Killian who is smiling. “We leavin in an hour,” he says cheerfully like they’re going to Disney World.

Hayla straight refused to pack for the first half and hour after she was left alone. Then when she realized it was pointless, packed for the next fifteen minutes and pouted for the following fifteen before the demon finally came to collect her.  
He stood in front of her while she sat on the bed with her arms crossed. “Dean’s letting us take your bug while he and Sam ‘borrow’ some cars,” he explains but she says nothing. “Come on. We’re leaving,” he orders more forcefully.  
“No,” Hayla knew that all of this refusal was probably useless and she would probably end up going anyway, but hell if she was going without a fight.  
“Scott,” he warned and made his way to stand in front of her.  
“I’m not going with you.” She stood up and, even though she was a good few inches shorter than him, tried to be more intimidating.  
“You are going even if I have to throw you over my shoulder and drag you kicking and screaming the entire way,” He says matter-of-factly. “Damn it Scott. Fine,” he says throwing his hands up and for a moment she thought it was surrender until he reached out and grabbed her arm in the first attempts to literally drag her out the door.  
“Killian let go of me!” At this point she’s so angry at him and Dean and who knows what else that without thinking she swings at his face to punch him. But he catches her hand. He squeezes it so tight she thinks thats he might actually be trying to break her hand. He’s so close that his face is mere inches from hers and she can feel his breath on her face as his eyes bore into hers with a glare.  
“Enough!” Dean yells at both of them.” She yanks nothe her arms out of his grasp and glares back at him.  
“Grab your stuff. Lets go,” he grits through his teeth. Finally surrendering she picks up her duffle and throws her backpack over her shoulder before walking towards the front door.  
“Hal,” Dean calls to her for what she’s sure is an apology. But she brushes straight by him not giving him a second glance. She walks straight past Sam too not saying goodbye and slams the front door as she walks out just for good measure. Killian sighs and goes to walk after her. “Killian,” Dean stops him and he looks at the girls father. “ just take care of her,” he finishes and the demon gives him a small nod before following Hayla out to the car.

Dean drives up to Frank’s house and gets out of the car. When he walks through the door he immediately notices the mostly bare walls and draws his gun. He walks into Frank’s headquarters to find that everything, except for a few loose wires, has been completely cleared out. “This can't be good,” Dean says out loud. A gun cocks behind him and he turns swiftly around raising his own gun. Frank is pointing a shotgun at him. “Well... hi,” Dean gives him a slight smirk but Frank doesn’t lower his gun. “Frank... we're amongst friends here.” Dean says trying to talk him down. Frank all but rolls his eyes at the word ‘friends’. “Okay, acquaintances.”  
“That's just what a Leviathan would say,” Frank gruffs out.  
“Frank. I'm not a Leviathan.”  
“Oh, sure. You're not a Leviathan. Dick Roman's not a Leviathan. Gwyneth Paltrow is not a Leviathan.”  
Dean cocks his head. “Yeah?”  
“Trust me.”  
“Okay. You know what, Frank? I think you've been doing a little too much research.”  
“They're anywhere, anyone. Who's to say this ain't the day they come for old Frank who knew too much?”  
An idea pops into Dean’s head. “They bleed black goo, right? You want to see what I bleed?” Frank points his shotgun at Dean’s foot.  
“Oh! Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Dean jumps away. “Let's take the guns out of it, okay?”  
“Okay.” Dean puts his gun on the table, takes a switch knife out of his back pocket and makes a cut on his forearm. Frank finally lowers his shotgun.  
“See? Red-blooded American.” Dean pulls his sleeve down and wipes his knife off. “Now…” He holds out the knife to Frank. “Your turn.”  
“Oh! Whoa. Look, I'm obviously not –” he argues but Dean cuts him off.  
“Fair's fair, douchebag.” Frank takes the knife, makes a cut on his palm and hands the knife back to Dean. “Yeah.” He wipes the knife on his sleeve again. “I'm glad we could share that together,” he says sarcastically.  
“Grab your gun, come with me. For God's sake, don't make any noise.”

Dean and Frank pull up at a barn containing a trailer. They go inside and Dean looks around at his impressive layout. “Why the downsize?”  
“You! "Hey, Frank, go dig up some dirt on Richard Roman." That night, I was burned off every IP I had. Ears on my phones, eyes on my house…”  
“Wait – Dick's got people watching you?” Dean questions  
“Do I look like I know? You think it's easy to see this deep into what's real and also be bipolar with delusional ideation? There is no pill for my situation, sweetiepop, so, yeah, best guess – the big mouths are onto me. Next question.”  
“All right. Well, what's the word on the big mouths?”  
“Their tentacles are everywhere. I-I'm looking at bankers, military high-ups…”  
“This is why you didn't call me back?”  
“Hey, cut me some slack. You called me like four days ago.”  
“I called you four weeks ago, Frank!” Dean exclaims.  
“What? No. Really?” Frank seems shocked. “Days, weeks – quit busting my chops.” He waves Dean off.  
“What, are you kidding me?”  
“You cool your heels, Buster Brown.”  
“Frank, I paid you fifteen grand for this.”  
“Yeah, I get that –”  
“No, you don't get that! Dick Roman is every card in my hit deck. You understand that? Those numbers, they got something to do with him, okay? Bobby died for those numbers.”  
“Look, I'm sorry about Bobby. I really am.” Frank laughs at a distant memory. “You know, this one time, we were in Fresno, and we got stuck –”  
“No. No, no, no.” Dean turns away from him. “I'm not gonna play "this one time with Bobby" crap, all right? I'm not gonna get all warm and fuzzy with somebody else who barely knew him.”  
“Just trying to make friendly conversation.”  
“This is not a friendship, Frank.” He gestures between the two of them. ‘I'm paying you!”  
“Hey. You know what you need? A little LSD, a little shiatsu –”  
“I'm out of here.” Dean turns and heads for the door.  
“Hey, you want to know what those numbers are?” Frank stops him. “Bupkis. They're not lottery numbers, license –”  
“I know that, Frank. Thank you.”  
“Which leaves us little else to do but probability generate.”  
“Come again?” Frank sits down at a computer.  
“You run most reasonable possibilities for a Levi-related five-digit number written by a dying drunk, you come up flat. Know what you start to wonder? ‘Hey, maybe I'm missing a number’."  
“Well, how do you figure?”  
“Oh, I don't know. Because Bobby was dying of brain trauma! I just had a tickle there was a reason nothing was popping out at us, so I set up a program to run possibilities for six numbers, seven, eight. But good news.”  
“Good news?”  
“Never had to go past six, because this…” Frank types “454893” into the computer, “...my little lamb, is coordinates.” The coordinates pop up on the screen and Dean leans over to get a better look.  
“You sure? To what?”  
“A field in Wisconsin.” Dean drops his head in disappointment. For a moment he thought Frank was on to something. He should have known better.  
“No.” He shook his head. “No, Bobby didn't give us coordinates to some patch of weeds in Cheeseville.”  
“No, he gave you coordinates to a parcel recently purchased by Willman, Inc., a subsidiary of, da da da da,” he mimics trumpeting noises, “Richard Roman Enterprises.”  
Dean backs up at this revelation and runs his hand over his mouth. “So what do we do?”  
“Stay away. Or, if we're stupid,” Frank stands up and turns towards Dean, “we go there and set up surveillance,” he says with a knowing look.

Killian steps out of the motel’s lobby and pops his head into the car through the window, which is parked outside the room he just rented. He looks over at Hayla who is curled into a ball in the passenger seat and is sleeping with her head against the window. He smirks at her and honks the car horn. Hayla jerks awake and rubs at her eyes. “Morning, princess,” he greets her. She scoffs at him and looks around her.  
“Where are we?”  
“Omaha,” he says with enthusiasm and pats the roof of the car before walking over to the trunk. Hayla sighs and slowly gets out of the car. Stepping out Hayla slumps over working through the stiffness in her muscles. Killian peeks around from the trunk and sees her roll her neck. He rolls his eyes at the frailty of humans. “You okay?”  
Hayla stands fully up not giving him the satisfaction of seeing her weak in any way. “I’m fine, “ she bites and he rolls his eyes again.   
“Good. Cause I’m not carrying your bags.” He throws her her duffle and she catches it on instinct when it barely misses her face. She lowers it to her side and gives him a glare. This only causes him to smirk before he walk away towards their room.

Dean and Frank get back to Frank’s trailer and Frank sits down at his computer and taps on some keys as the computer screen shows the field.  
“All right, now what?” Dean asks.  
“You look horrific. When was the last time you really slept a night?” Frank asks ignoring his question  
“Let's just work, all right?”  
“This is it. We watch the screens. I can take the first shift. You're no use if you can't even…” he looks back over to Dean asleep and softly snoring. “Keep your eyes open.” Frank turns back to the monitors annoyed. Dean’s phone vibrates in his jacket pocket, but he doesn’t wake.

Hayla spends the rest of the day in bed and when morning comes she still doesn’t move. Her blanket is pulled up all the way to her eyes and her back is facing the door. She hears Killian come back from getting breakfast but she doesn’t bother turning around. “You up?” he asks even though he knows the answer. Even though she spends most of her time in bed these days she barely sleeps because of all the nightmares.  
“No,” she grumbls.  
Killian sighs and sits on the side of her bed. “Is this what you’re going to do the entire time we’re here?”  
“Pretty much.”  
He throws his hands up. He;s had enough of this the past couple of weeks. “Alright that’s it.” He rips the covers off of her with some protest.  
“No,” she whines still clawing at the comforter before it ripped completely off the bed.  
“If I’m stuck on babysitting duty. I’m not going to stay tucked away in some dingy hotel. Come on. Get up, get dress, take a shower,” he orders bust she still just lays there frowning. “Or you know I could do all those things for you,” he threatens. She glares at him before finally swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and walking towards the bathroom.

Killian pulls up outside of Bartons Bar and Grille with a smile on his face. “Now this is what I’m talking about.” He looks over at Hayla who is now glaring at him hard.  
“You took me to a bar? I am not drinking with you!” she yells at him.  
He groans. “You know on second thought you were so much more fun when you were asleep.” He ignores her and gets out of the car to walk towards the building.  
She jumps out after him. “Killian!” she yells after him.  
He whips back around. “Look Scott, I’m going inside. You can stay out here if you’d like or you can come in and join me. I promise you can continue to yell at me inside if you’d like.” She crosses her arms stubbornly. “Fine. Suit yourself.” He shakes the keys at her before shoving them in his pocket and leaving her to stand there. Hayla slams the car door almost breaking the glass as he finally enters the bar. She groans and grumbles to herself and she takes her phone out of her pocket. She scrolls through her contacts until she finally find Dean’s name and calls him. It rings before finally going to voicemail.  
“Hey this is Dean. Leave your Name, number, and nightma-” She hangs up. She dial another number this time trying Sam. Again she gets his voicemail. “Hey this is Sam. Leave your-” She groans in frustration looking around. Of course he would pick the one bar that’s in the middle of virtually nowhere. Reluctantly she finally stomps her way into the bar. She slams the door behind her making a few people turn, including Killian who is already sitting at the bar with a plate of food in front of him.  
“There she is!” He cheers happily. “Here,” He slides another plate over in front of the stool next to him. “I got you a veggie burger. Sit.”  
She walks over to the stool but doesn’t sit down. “What is this?” She gestures to the plate.  
“It’s food. I thought you might be hungry,” he says simply.  
“You’re being nice to me?”  
“With the way things are going right now with the whole leviathan thing I figure were gonna be stuck with each other for a while. I just thought it would be a little less painful if we didn’t hate each other.”  
She seems shocked and slightly amused at this. “You wanna be friends?” he shrugs.  
“More like civil acquaintances.”  
“With me?” she verifies and he nods. She slowly hops on the bar stool and inspects the sandwich. Everything seems alright with it so she turns to him. “If we’re gonna be civil with each other I think I am going to need that drink. KIllian smiles and waves the bartender over for a beer.

They sit exchanging some small talk as they eat and Hayla finds that if they avoid any touchy subjects he’s not a total waste of entertainment. Killian watches as the waitress behind the bar passes behind the bar and his eyes follow her as she smirks at him. “Well that was a longing look,” Hayla comments.  
“Don’t be jealous,” he jokes.  
She scoffs. “You wish.” She turns back to her food picking up her last fry and chewing on it.   
“Lydia is a friend,” he explains. She looks back over at the waitress who she can only assume is Lydia and then back to Killian in shock.   
“You have a friend?” she exclaims.  
“Yeah,” he exclaims back slightly offended.  
“When did that happen?”  
He laughs. “Wait. Did you really think that I didn’t have a life before you?” she shrugs. “Did you think I was just kept locked up until Crowley had use for me?”  
“Isn’t that what he does with all of his minions or soldiers?”  
“Okay first off I’m not a soldier. I’m more of a lieutenant. And kept on a very loose leash,” he corrects her. She nods in understanding. “I’ve been a part of Lydia’s family for a long time. I was friends with her mom, and her mom before her.”  
“So she knows?” he nods.  
“Believe it or not, not everybody is a racist hunter like you.”  
She shakes her head. “I’m not a hunter. I’m more of a supernatural information specialist. And kept under a very protective father and your watchful eye,” she jokes back with him and he laughs. it’s quiet again for a moment as they realize they almost sounded cordial. “I appreciate it you know? All of this?” she gestures from her plate and beer to all around the bar. “This nice act that you’re putting on. It’s actually kind of distracting me from the fact that you’re here to babysit me.” He shakes his head trying to deny it but she waves him off. “No, it’s alright really. I mean I guess I've had worse looking babysitters.” She smirks at him and takes a drink of her beer.   
“Woah,” he says taken back. “You might wanna watch your drinking there.” He takes her beer from her and sets it back on the counter. “I think you might have just accidentally gave me a compliment.” She rolls her eyes and tears the bottle back from his grasp.   
“Not really considering my other babysitter was an eighty year old woman and I was seven.” She takes another drink of her beer and turns back to her food. Hayla takes a bite of her veggie burger and out of the corner of her eye she can see Killian staring at her through narrowed eyes. She looks over at him and swallows her bite of food. “What?” she asks.  
“Can I ask you something?”  
“Is it gonna be offensive?” she jokes and takes the last bite.   
“No,” he laughs. “I’m just curious. Why the vegetarianism? Do you have something against eating cute defenseless creatures or is it more like wanting to make a political statement.” She rolls her eyes.  
“Well if you must know,” she says taking a fry off of his half finished plate popping it into her mouth, “it was more necessity than want.”  
He scrunches his eyebrows together and turns his body on the stool to face her, in interest. “What do you mean?”   
“Well, when I was shipped around from group home to group home we weren’t exactly served five star meals. So for the littler kids, though I didn’t always like them all, they didn’t deserve to starve. So I gave them whatever protein I could and I took the vegetables they didn’t want like broccoli and lima beans.” She take another of his fries and sucks the ketchup off her finger before continuing. “Then when I was kicked out and I didn’t have money. I was too young to be employed and an orange was a lot easier to steal from a grocery store than a ham. Then I don’t know what happened after. I guess once I was back on my feet and that was an option again meat just seemed unappetizing. I liked the taste but every time I looked at real meat I felt sick just looking at it.” Killian stared at her for a good second while she took a sip of her beer. He was looking at her through narrowed eyes again, like he was trying to figure her out, and it was making Hayla feel uneasy. “What?” She asks sitting her empty bottle down.  
He shakes his head. “Nothing.” She shakes her head this time and reaches over to take another fry from his plate. He watches her before finally pushing the plate over to her. “Hey, Lydia,” he calls to waitress behind the bar. The petite blonde turns around and smiles at him. “Can we get another basket of fries, and maybe some mozzarella sticks?” The little girl nods and goes to get his order. “Oh and get the girl another beer!” he calls after her. He looks back over to Hayla who is now looking at him questioningly. “What?” he asks.  
She smirks and shakes her head. “Nothing.” she goes back to finishing off his fries and when Lydia comes back with more fried food she finishes those as well as finish off another beer while Killian and her talk.

A couple guys are obnoxiously while playing pool catch Hayla’s attention and she looks over at them. “You play?” Killian asks gesturing to the tables and she shrugs.   
“A little.”  
“Well come on then.” He picks up two more beers and hands her one as he leads her over to an empty table.  
She watches him quietly set up a game before finally speaking up. “So Ian.”  
“Woah. Woah. Woah,” he cuts her off at his new nickname. “Ian?”  
“KIllian is just so formal and a mouthful,” she explains  
He laughs and nods his head. “Fair enough.   
“So Ian,” She continues, “I thought demons couldn’t drink or eat or whatever. You know, since technically you’re...dead.”  
He laughs at the misconception. “As long I as act normal, eat, drink, sleep. I function like any other normal human.”  
“Yeah but why do that if you don’t need to?”  
He shrugs. “Cause I like it. Haven’t you ever done something for the sheer pleasure of it?”  
“I fix up cars, I go to bars, I-”  
“Don’t you have any hobbies?”  
“Those are my hobbies.” He rolls his eyes at her ridiculousness.  
“God, you are such your father.”  
“Am not!” she yells.  
“Yes you are. You’re a little more stubborn and don’t take to orders well but you’re just like he was with his dad. You practically worship the guy. You always keep him in line. You clean up his messes. Want to be exactly like him.”  
“I do not!”  
“Then prove it.” He challenges. “Lets do something your dad would never do.”  
“Like what?”  
“Like have fun.” He hands her a pool stick.  
“Isn’t this something my dad would do?” she asks pointing to the table.  
“No you’re father is incapable of having fun. He plays pool to scam people. This is purely recreational.” She snatches the pool stick from his hand and he smiles.  
“Fine but i get to break.”

They play through the game with Killian talking about how many great times he’s had in this bar and Hayla telling him about experiences she’s had in other bars. They play until they’re down to the last ball with the que and 8 only left on the table. Hayla lines up her shot and hits ball straight into the wall before it ricochets off and lands in one of the corner pockets. “Yes!” She cheers and throws her pool stick down on the table and doing a celebratory spin. When she faces him again her face is bright with a smile as she laughs.  
Ian smirks at her. “Wow, I never thought I’d see that.”  
“It’s called a bank shot,’ she says smugly.  
“Not that Scott...the smile.” Her smile slightly fades at his sincerity and she shyly tucks some hair behind her ear.

Another game later finds them sitting down on a couch by the lounge fireplace. “Okay,” She speaks up. “So we’re two games in and three beers deep and this place is still not the hype you built it up to be. Where’s the hedonism?” she teases.  
“Unfortunately hedonism isn’t a huge fan of weeknights. But don't worry. Tomorrow is Friday night and this place will be alive.” After today they can’t help but finally feel relaxed in the others presence. They sit on the couch in silence watching the fire until Hayla slowly falls asleep.

“Come on!” A familiar voice says and it’s followed by a giggle that sounds like music to Dean. He feels an arm snake around his waist and a body move closer to his as he holds a jacket over his head to guard from the rain. Dean runs down the streets of a familiar, younger looking Sioux Falls. He finally reaches a shop that has roof outside so he can lower his jacket. He shakes it out as her hears laughing beside him. He Finally looks over to see Jane. His Janey at 16. she’s just as beautiful as he remembers. In fact he remembers all of this like it was yesterday.  
This was their first date. Jane invited him to come see the meteor shower. Half the town came out to see it but as soon as the meteors started to fall so did the rain. Jane couldn’t stop laughing. They were both soaked. Dean looks down at Jane admiring how pretty she was when she laughed. When jane realized he was staring she stopped laughing. He hadn’t meant to do that. Did he make her uncomfortable? “What?” he asks and then she spontaneously kisses him. Their first kiss and Dean already can’t get enough. He holds her there and they kiss until it stops raining.

“Wake up sleeping beauty.” Ian nudges Hayla gently until she wakes up. She groans as lights hit her eyes and she hold her head. “Here,” Ian hands her a cup of coffee. “Drink up. It’s day 2.”  
She slightly sits up and realizes that she’s still in the bar, still on the couch in the lounge. “This whole you being nice to me thing is going to get some getting used to,” she groans tiredly and takes the cup from him.  
“Yeah well don’t get too used to it. I don’t want the other demons thinking I've gone soft,” he jokes. She takes a sip of coffee and chuckles.

Dean wakes in his chair. Frank is monitoring the field on four computer screens.  
“How long was I out?” Dean asks.  
“'Bout 36 hours.”  
“What? Why didn't you wake me?” He exclaims.  
“Not your butler. Come see this.”  
Dean groans but slide his chair next to Frank's. “What?”  
“This is where it gets good.” Frank zooms in on a parked car in which two people are making out.  
“Frank, you need to get out more.”  
“Not that.” He fast forwards and then there is a woman walking across the field. Frank zooms in on her. She is carrying documents and a walkie-talkie. “Check out Sarah Palin.”  
“Who is she?”  
“Amanda Willer.” Frank hits a key and suddenly information on Amanda flashes across the screen. Amanda’s California driver’s license, Richard Roman Enterprises security pass and a close-up photo. “Surprise, surprise – works for Richard Roman.” Frank hits another key and it goes back to the security cameras to show three men in uniforms walking towards Amanda.  
“What was she doing?”  
“Being a naughty, bossy little girl,” Frank says way too sexually.  
“Well, I hate to ask for that in the non-porno version.”  
“They're surveying. They're getting ready to build something.”  
“Build what?”  
“Exactly. What?” He emphasis by pointing. “No idea.”  
“Well, how do we find out?” On the screen the men are taking up positions on the field.  
“We watch. Patience, grasshopper.”  
“Yeah, patience and me aren't exactly on terms.”  
“Well, then go out and kill something or whatever you kids do to blow off steam.” Dean glares at him. “What, you don't like my suggestion?”  
“I don't think you're in a position to be giving suggestions, all right? I think you're one tinfoil hat away from a rubber room.”  
“Did I mention you look awful?”  
“Yes. Maybe because somebody I cared about just got shot in the head. And this is like shoving a rock up a hill. And – screw you.”  
“Here's my advice you didn't ask for – quit.”  
“What?!” Dean asks offended.  
“You want to keep going?”  
“I want Dick Roman on a spit.”  
“But you're gonna drive yourself into the ground first. Good plan.”  
Dean pauses. “I'm not gonna quit. It's not even an option. I'm not gonna walk out on my brother or my daughter.”  
“Okay, then, fine. Do what I did.”  
He scoffs. “What? Go native? Stock up on C-rations?”  
“No, cupcake. What I did when I was 26 and came home to find my wife and two kids gutted on the floor.” Dean looks up shocked at this news. “Decide to be fine till the end of the week. Make yourself smile because you're alive and that's your job. Then do it again the next week.”  
“So fake it?”  
“I call it being professional. Do it right, with a smile, or don't do it.” He nods. Dean’s phone buzzes and he checks it. He see that Sam has left him a voicemail so he hits the button and outs it to his ear to listen.   
“Dean, hey. So I think this guy was hunting a Vetala. Um, Dad took one down back in the day.”  
“No, no, no. Sam, that's not right,” Dean exclaims at his brother's stupidity.  
“What's the guff?” Frank asks.  
“He –”  
“...says they're maladjusted loner types – like to knock a guy out, drag him home –”   
Dean presses a button on his phone to take a call.  
“Sam?”  
“No. Who's this?” a girl says on the other end of the line.  
“Who's this?”  
“Sam told me to call if I didn't hear anything back from him.”

A few hours in people already started to show up.“Alright lets get this party rolling,” she sets down shots for the group. Her and Ian grab on along with four others who have gathered around them. “One, two, three!” They all throw back a shot and slam it back down on the counter, Hayla being the first to finish hers. “Me again.” She smiles at them and they all groan giving her a dollar. “Thank you,” she says cheerfully smug. Ian laughs at her.  
“Alright that can't be human,” he complains  
“Yeah. Yeah. Next round.” She waves him off and shoves the money in her pocket.  
He shakes his head.“I don’t think so. Thats four already. You should be wrecked.”  
“Please. I am not even drunk.” She hops off the bar stool and stumbles a little bit but Ian catches her.  
“Yeah. Not even,” he jokes. “How about we do something with slightly less alcohol.” That’s when he takes her hand leads her out onto the dance floor.

“Did Sam tell you where he was going?” Krissy asks as he walks into the apartment.  
“That's what I'm trying to figure out. What did you tell him?”  
“Uh...He checked my dad's room.”  
“There?” He points and she nods  
“Yeah.” Dean makes his way into the office and looks around Lee’s room before turning to Krissy, who is standing in the doorway.  
“Look, I really don't have time to hold your hand here, so –”  
“What are you saying?” she challenges.  
“I'm saying go wait in the living room. Your dad may not want you to know every single thing about him.” Krissy leans on the doorway and puts a hand on her hip determinedly. Dean opens Lee’s closet and pushes his clothes to the side to find a blank wall. But he finds only the corner of a map is still pinned to the board. Dean pulls it down and turns to the girl.  
“Where is it?” He asks holding up the scrap of paper.  
“You mean everything about the job my dad was working?”  
“Sam said you didn't know.”  
“Sam seemed competent, so I figured, fine – I'll do what my dad always tells me to. "Be a regular kid, don't say anything, stay out of the line of fire. Let the adults work it out." So much for that.”  
“All right. Hand it over. Okay? I have had a long, long week.” Krissy pulls out a gun and points it at Dean. He jumps back slightly but just smirks. “All right, I get it. You're a tough kid. But I'm trying to get Sam and your dad back.”  
“My dad left, and he didn't come back. Sam left, and he didn't come back. I give you the info, you leave, you don't come back.”  
“I'm coming back.”  
“I'm coming with you.”  
“N-no. No. Hell, no.”  
“I'm coming! Or you're not going.” Dean snatches the gun out of Krissy’s hand.  
“Ow!”  
“Now hand it over.”  
“I can't. I burned it.”  
“You what?”  
“But lucky for you, I memorized it all first,” she smirks

Dean and Krissy are driving in the car. “Hey, I have a question,” Krissy interrupts the silence.  
“Alright , here's the deal. I'm a fun guy. I'm actually awesome. Okay? But right now, I'm not in the mood. I'm neck deep in some serious crap, and if this wasn't an emergency, I would drop your ass off at the nearest mall.”  
“What serious crap?”  
“Revenge crap, all right? Now shut up. Eat a cookie or something.” Krissy puts headphones in her ears, then takes them out again.  
“One thing doesn't make sense, though. My dad's a pretty great hunter, and your brother's the size of a car, so... So how'd this thing get 'em both?”  
“Vetalas usually hunt in pairs. Sam and your dad both assumed it was one thing hunting solo.”  
“Why'd they think that?”  
“Because they had the wrong info. Or, best available. Our dad took down a loner years ago. Sam has his journal. Your dad must've been going on the same facts.”  
“And you know different 'cause...?”  
“Because I hunted one that turned out to be two a couple years back.”  
“And you never told Sam? Wow, thanks. How 'bout sharing that with the rest of the class so we don't all get killed?” she says sarcastically.  
“Sam was away at Stanford, smartass,” he snaps.  
“Sam went to college? I thought you said your dad was a hunter.”  
“He was. We were. Sam quit, went to college.” There is a pause as Krissy processes this “You could, too, you know – go to college. Be a hunter slash pediatrician.”

Dean and Krissy are in the car, which is parked outside the diner. “You ever actually work with your dad?” Dean asks taking a sip from a straw.  
“Sure. 'Course.”  
“No, I mean work, not shoot cans in the woods.”  
“I mean, I help all the time.”  
“So, no. Well, right about now, your stomach should be pretty knotted up.”  
“Not really. Look, maybe this was a lot harder for you when you were my age...”  
“Oh, you think you're a good actress.” he says condescendingly. “You're not.”  
“What are you talking about?”  
“Well, I hate to break it to you, but it's all over your face – you're scared.”  
“Quit treating me like I'm some girl. I've been prepping for this my entire life.”  
“Training's one thing. Doing – whole ’nother beast. Trust me I know I was the same way.”  
“Wow. You really scared me straight. Thanks, Dean.”  
“Great now i know it will work on my daughter.”  
Krissy’s eyebrows knit together. “You have a daughter?” He slightly glances at her and nods as though he didn’t mean for that to slip.   
“Yeah. Not much older than you actually.”  
“Whats her name?”  
“Hayla.”  
“And she’s never worked with you?”  
“Well she helps all the time,” Dean jokes with her and she rolls her eyes. Krissy watches as a waitress walks across the parking lot and gets into the cab of a truck.  
“Why is that waitress getting into that truck?” Krissy asks.  
“I'm not explaining the R-rated crap to you.”  
“The front of the truck, not the back, Dean.” The waitress drives the truck away.

Dean and Krissy follow the truck until it parks by the side of a road near a building. “Alright,” Dean celebrates and holds out his fist to Krissy.  
“What century is this? No one fist-bumps anymore.”  
“Come on. Give it up. Good work.” He wiggles his fist.  
“You're a dweeb.” Dean wiggles his fist again. Krissy finally puts out her hand but he grabs it and puts handcuffs on her. “What the hell?”  
“I got an idea.” He attaches the handcuffs to the steering wheel. “How 'bout you stay here?”  
“Oh, you jackass.”  
“Yeah, well, I'm the jackass who ain't bringing a kid in there, period.”  
“Why? I can do everything you can do.”  
“I'll bring them back. Trust me.” Dean opens the car door to get out.  
“Please, they're probably dead.” He slams the door and looks at her seriously.  
“You don't know that.”  
“It's been days. Probably just a pile of meat. I've seen it. People die, Dean. I watched my mom get torn to shreds. Let me go in there and kill them.”  
Dean thinks it over for a moment. “No. Sorry.”  
“You're such a hypocrite. How come you get to do it and I don't?”  
“Because I'm the grown-up!” he yells. Dean holds out a hand. “Give it to me.”  
“What?”  
“Your lock pick.” She sit there.” I will frisk you.” Krissy hands it over to Dean.  
“Thank you.” Dean gets out of the car and walks away. Krissy rattles the handcuffs in frustration.

A little while later Killian is drinking and dancing his way through the crowd towards Hayla who’s standing next to some guy at the bar.l He finally made his way over but when he gets there Hayla has disappeared. “Hey there,” Lydia smiles at him. “Where’s your girl?”   
“She was here just a second ago.” He looks around confused but can’t seem to find her.   
“Um, Killian.” Lydia point to the other side of the bar and Ian makes his way around the counter to see Hayla on top of a table dancing. He laughs to himself to see the fun she’s having. That is until another guy jumps on the table and starts dancing with her as well. His smile falls and he has to turn and walk away.

Dean picks the lock to the building and enters. He looks around and sees one of the dead men. The he sees Sam, Lee and a third man tied to chairs. Sally is standing next to the third man and Marlene next to Lee. Sam is still unconscious.  
“Good thing we picked up a new one. This one's about tapped out. You want to finish him together?” Marlene asks.  
“Sure. Love to.” Dean then grabs a metal bar and hits Sally, who falls to the ground. He draws his knife as Marlene advances on him.  
“Not so fast.” Dean swings at her, but she hits him and he drops his knife. She slams him against a metal cage and grabs him by the throat. Sam suddenly wakes with all the commotion around him. Dean grabs another metal bar and hits Marlene. She falls to the ground and Dean picks up his knife.  
“Dad, hold on – I got you!”Krissy’s voice sounds as she charges in. She runs across the room, but Sally grabs her leg.  
“No!’ Lee yells. Sally gets up, pulls Krissy behind Lee and Sam, and holds Krissy from behind. Dean is holding his knife to Marlene’s throat.  
“Let her go... or Little Miss Sunshine here gets it,” Sally threatens. Sally’s eyes glow and teeth elongate. Dean takes his knife away from Marlene’s throat and hold it up in surrender. Marlene hurries up and scurries over to stand behind Lee. Sally’s eyes and teeth return to normal.  
“What were you thinking, bringing her here?” Lee shakes his head.  
Dean walks towards Sally and Krissy.  
“Now drop the knife!” Sally demands. Dean puts the knife on the floor.  
“She's just a child. Let her go.”  
“Yeah, I don't think we'll be letting anyone go.” Lee looks over at Krissy.  
“Daddy…” she says helplessly.  
“It's okay, baby. Everything's gonna be fine,” Lee assures her but Sally pulls Krissy closer.  
“Alright. Enough with the family bonding.” Marlene pulls Lee’s head back by his hair. “It's time for you to shut up.” Marlene bites into Lee’s neck.  
“Daddy, no! Dean!” Krissy cries out.  
“He can't help you. No one can.”  
Krissy pulls a knife out of her sleeve, spins around and stabs Sally. “I guess I'll have to help myself, then.” Krissy twists the knife and Sally’s body turns grey and her teeth transform. She falls to the floor dead. Marlene advances on Dean, who picks up his knife. Krissy cuts the ropes binding Sam. Sam takes Krissy’s knife. Marlene turns back around only to have Sam plunge the knife into her heart and twist. Marlene's teeth transform and her body turns black as she dies. Krissy runs over to her dad and works on the ropes binding Lee, who is unconscious.  
“Bad actress, huh?” she asks Dean.  
“Yeah, I take it back,” he admits.

After he disappeared. Hayla finds Ian sitting alone by the fire again. “Look who’s over here all by themselves,” she announces her presence.  
“And look who’s wasted,” he shoots back hearing the slur in her voice.  
“Looky what I stole.” She pulls out two glasses and a bottle of scotch and climbs over the back of the couch to plop down beside him. He laughs and she smile because she too the permanent frown off his face. She pours them both glasses and hands one to Ian. “Cheers.” Hayla holds up her glass and he knocks his against hers. “So I have a question,” she says.\ after taking a sip.  
“Shoot.”  
“Why did you bring me here?” she asks seriously.  
“I was hoping to get you drunk and take advantage of you.” She hits him and he holds his arm. “Ow.”  
“I’m serious.”  
He shrugs. “I don’t know. You seemed....broken. Like you needed a pick-me-up. And after a few months of dealing with you and your family I sure as hell needed a good time.” She rolls her eyes. “It seemed like we both need a break from the world is ending catastrophes to have some fun.”  
She nods in understanding. “Well, thank you. I appreciate it. Although I used to be a lot more fun before all of the world is ending catastrophes.”  
“You provided sufficient entertainment for me.”  
She smiles behind her glass as they drink and he stares at her. she lowers her drink and gives him a questioning look. “What?” He purses his lip before slowly leaning in and he kisses her. She’s shocked for a moment but then he feels her relax as her eyes close. He moves himself closer and pulls her in by the back of her neck. Then her eyes snap open and she realizes what is happening and pushes him away. She covers her mouth in shock. They don’t move or say anything for what seems like an hour while he waits for her reaction. “What the hell was that!” She yells.  
“I’m sorry I-”  
“That was way over the line.”  
“I totally misread that. I’m sorry,” he apologizes.  
“Yeah you did.” she runs her fingers through her hair and shakes her head. “You can’t do that.”  
“Okay,” he says understanding. Hayla sets her glass down on the table and gets up, quickly storming towards the door. “Scott!” he calls after but she’s already gone.

Sam and Dean are walking down the hallway of the hospital. They see a room that Krissy is sitting outside and nod to her before entering. Lee is in a hospital bed in the room.  
“Yeah, I was hoping you'd stop by. I wanted to thank you,” he tells them.  
“It's no problem,” Sam says.  
“No, you saved my life. Krissy's, too.  
“Actually, uh, she kind of saved ours.”  
“Don't thank us. Quit,” Dean says simply. “Your daughter's 14 years old. She's already a hunter with a kill under her belt. I'm not trying to be a dick, but what do you think that does to her life span? She could still be a regular kid.”  
“You know, I got into this for a reason.”  
“I know. Your family. That's the same reason you should get out now. Being a parent is a lot. Believe me I know. a few months ago a teenage girl I didn’t even know existed showed up on my doorstep and told me that I was her father. When something like that happens to you your entire world shifts. And now it’s not about doing what right for you or what’s right for anyone else, it’s about doing what right by her. So from one dad to another. Get out. While you still can. Hell I know I would if I could.”  
“I can't. Saying you’d get out is one thing doing it is another.”  
“I can’t get out because I don’t have a choice. You do.”  
“You ever know anyone who left the life?”  
“No. They all get killed first.”  
“Well, uh... we should probably let you get some rest.”  
“Yeah.” Lee raises a hand in farewell.

Sam and Dean exit the hospital, followed by Krissy. “Dean!” she calls after him. “Thanks for saying bye, asshat.” Sam walks over to the car, leaving Dean and Krissy to talk.  
“Oh, what? Now you're sentimental?”  
“No. Just wanted to tell you that you're kind of amusing for an old man.”  
“How'd you get out of them cuffs, anyway?”  
“Girl's gotta have her secrets.”  
“Bobby pin,” he says pointing to her ponytail. “You know, you could've gotten yourself killed.”  
“I saved your bacon.”  
“My point stands. But yes.”  
“So... Guess I'm retiring – one and done.”  
“Really? How you feel about that?”  
She shrugs. “Who knows? Maybe I'll go to Stanford like Sam.” Krissy holds out her fist to Dean, who bumps it.  
“We're so lame.” She shakes her head.  
“Yeah, we are. Take care of yourself.”  
“Say hi to your daughter for me.”  
“Will do.”  
Dean walks over to the car, where Sam is waiting by the passenger side. Krissy goes back into the hospital.

Killian had stayed at the bar that night knowing that Hayla would have come back to the hotel. He slams the door a little too loud and Hayla rolls over in the bed groaning as her hangover immediately hits her. She sits up slowly and they silently exchange looks. “Here.” Ian throws her the shopping bag he was holding. “Two bottles of gatorade, a nice big bag of cholesterol and fried foods,” he sets the paperbag on the night stand, “and enough aspirin for a small village. Anything you need to get back on your feet. Your dad called we have to get back on the road.” She nods slightly.

Dean and Sam are driving in the car back to Rufus’s. “You know what? Good for them,” Sam says.  
“Yeah. It's nice to walk away from someone and feel like they could be okay. We saved a family today.”  
“What about our family?”  
“I don’t know. All I do know is that I've only been away from my daughter for three days and I already have ten missed calls from her 6 voicemail, granted half of them are telling me she hates me for leaving her with a demon. But hell I just want her back.” Sam smiles.  
“Same.”  
“If that doesn’t say we’ll be okay then I don't know what does. How about you? How you doing? You all right?”  
“No. I'm definitely not. But, you know, I mean, um, I think, maybe... I just want to work. Dean nods. “Should I even ask?”  
“I'm fine.”  
“"Fine," meaning...?” he pushes.  
“You're right. We should just... work, right? And figure out a way to kick Dick Roman's ass. Well, hey, we are the professionals.” Sam turns on music and leans against the passenger door to sleep. Dean tries to smile sadly as he drives.

The ride silently home and finally get to the cabin Killian gets her bags from the trunk and hands them to her. He starts to walk away from her but she calls after him. “Ian,” he stops and turns back around. “About what happened Saturday. weather it was the alcohol or the the atmosphere or just the hype of the weekend, it can’t happen again,” she says seriously.  
“Understood.” She nods.  
“That being said, I wanted to thank you.” He looks surprised. “With everything going on this trip was exactly what I needed. You got me out of my head and I had fun. So I wanted to thank you.”  
“My pleasure.” He smirks and leans against the car. She rolls her eyes and punches his arm playfully as they easily fall back into their banter. She smiles then starts to walk away. “Friends then?” he calls after her.  
She looks back at him with a small smile. “Civil acquaintances,” she says quietly and continues to walk to the house looking back once more to find him smiling before walking into the house.  
“Hey look who’s back.” Dean stands up from the couch and walks over to her.  
“Hey,” she replies and walks into her dad’s arms for a hug. “Where’s Sam?” she asks seeing no sign of her uncle.  
“He’s already passed out in the back.” she nods. “Well come over here tell me about your trip.” He walks over and sits down on the couch again.  
Hayla shakes her head. “Maybe some other time Dean. I just spent the whole afternoon in a cramped car and I have a hangover the size of Texas. I just want to go to bed.”  
“Well come over here anyway I want to talk to you about something.” She sighs and shuffles over to the couch sitting next to her dad. She looks at him and waits for him to start. Dean shifts around awkwardly like he doesn;t really know how to say what he wants.  
“Dean? is something wrong?”  
“No nothings wrong. I just-” he stops. “We family. Okay. And I just don’t mean by blood I mean it in every way I can mean it. Alright? I would die for you.” She nods slowly.” But lately I’ve realized that, I don’t ever want it to come to that. I want to be there for you, I want to be a better dad, but in my line of work there are threats and danger around every corner. So I‘ve realized I can’t be a hunter and a good dad at the same time-”  
Hayla scoffs cutting him off. “So you want to send me someplace to ensure that I get my best shot at happiness, blah, blah, blah. Yeah I’ve heard this speech before. “ Hayla gets up to leave but Dean grabs her wrist to stop her.   
“Hayla wait. You’ve got it all wrong.” She looks at him confused and slowly sits back down. “I’m not pushing away.” He could see a million question flashin behind her eyes. “Listen, Dick Roman, he’s my problem, my responsibility, my job. He’s my last job.” Her face is shocked. “I have to finish what Cas started. I have to clean up this mess and save the world...again.” she slightly laughs. “But when I’m done, I’m out. This family has lost enough. I couldn’t live with myself if you lost another parent. I and I couldn’t live period, if I lost you. So when this is all over we’re going to disappear. You, me, and Sam. We’ll go where ever you want and be the normal family you’ve always wanted. And if something or someone threatens that, well we know how to handle them.” Dean is caught off guard when Hayla launches herself into his arms with tears in her eyes. But he slowly smiles and wraps his arm around her too.   
“Thank you Dean.”  
“Yeah, you’re welcome, kiddo.”


End file.
